National Library of Montenegro “Đurđe Crnojević” marked 220 years since
the birth of French novelist Honoré de Balzac on Monday, May 20.
Prof. dr Dragan Bogojević
and writer Jovanka Vukanović spoke about his life and work.
Balzac was born in Tours
on May 20, 1799.
He was the chairman of
the Writers' Association and ran for the French Academy twice. The
first time, in 1839, he withdrew his candidacy in favor of Victor Hugo, while on
the second occasion, ten years later, he won only two votes.
Craving money and fame,
he has been writing what he considered popular and that could draw a wide
circle of readers. He has written the whole library for a
relatively short period of twenty years. He often wrote 16 hours a
day with the help of candles in order to publish his works as soon as possible.
He is considered the key
author of realism because he uses details, especially details of objects for
illustrating the lives of his characters. As a novelist he is aware
of his originality and considers his technique wide and suitable for unexpected
turns. Characters
of failed careerists, unfortunate lovers, declared dignitaries of Bonapartist
empire represent an introduction to a new mode of literary creation, which will
be developed in all European literature under the common name - realism.
National Library of Montenegro “Đurđe Crnojević” marked 220 years since the birth of French novelist Honoré de Balzac on Monday, May 20.
Prof. dr Dragan Bogojević and writer Jovanka Vukanović spoke about his life and work.
Balzac was born in Tours on May 20, 1799.
He was the chairman of the Writers' Association and ran for the French Academy twice. The first time, in 1839, he withdrew his candidacy in favor of Victor Hugo, while on the second occasion, ten years later, he won only two votes.
Craving money and fame, he has been writing what he considered popular and that could draw a wide circle of readers. He has written the whole library for a relatively short period of twenty years. He often wrote 16 hours a day with the help of candles in order to publish his works as soon as possible.
He is considered the key author of realism because he uses details, especially details of objects for illustrating the lives of his characters. As a novelist he is aware of his originality and considers his technique wide and suitable for unexpected turns. Characters of failed careerists, unfortunate lovers, declared dignitaries of Bonapartist empire represent an introduction to a new mode of literary creation, which will be developed in all European literature under the common name - realism.
He died in Paris on August 18, 1850.