1890. The life of Balzac who was originally trained as a lawyer before deciding his dream was to become a writer. He is now regarded as one of the creators of realism in literature and his huge production of novels and short stories are collected under the name La Comedie Humaine. Contents: Balzac an immortal; Balzac's tragedy a failure; Balzac's energy, and unremitting application; His deep belief in his own characters; The Medecin de Campagne; Balzac hangs upon the verdict of his friends; The chief characteristics of Eugenie Grandet; Balzac and Madame de Hanska; The preface to the Comedie Humaine; Le Cousin Pons; Balzac in the Rue Fortunee; and Sainte-Beuve and Balzac.