Rating: 
Summary: Destiny takes revenge on the ugly lady
Review: In this most paradoxical of all novels, Destiny takes revenge on the ungrateful cousin Bette, eptihome of ugliness of soul. Wonderful tale of unfaithfulness, deception, betrayal and lust, as well as hatred, set in middle Nineteenth century Paris, in the world of high finance and politics. The Hulots are a wealthy family. Hortense is Bette's cousin, who has made a fortunate marriage (to Bette's beloved, though). Hortense is good to her cousin, bringing her to live with them in a beautiful house. The Hulots are good to her, but she only wants revenge. And so, she tries with all her might to destroy the family. She has many chances to do it, because the Hulots are flawed, especially the men, who are womanizers of the highest sort. Intrigue is Bette's favorite sport, intrigue with meanness and cruelty. But no good comes from bad deeds, and life, the always ironic life, will not allow Bette's deeds to accomplish her revenge. She does accomplish much evil and disgrace, but the unfolding of events prevents her from triumph. Fortunately, since the good characters get to go on with their imperfect but mostly rewarding lives. This novel is one of Balzac's best (and there are many good ones). It belongs to the best canon of Western literature and will stand the test of time, once again because it touches on the universal features of human soul, ungratefulness being one of the most pervasive. Highly recommended, not least because the reader enjoys all the back-stabbing and the ultimate defeat of the ugly lady. Indeed, we see that envy is one of the worst sins.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard to describe
Review: It isn't really about Cousin Bette at all, but about Baron Hulot, a truly sick man, who has no resistance to a young girl, even as he ages into his 70's. It is his despicable behavior, not Bette's, which drives his family down. And money, money, everywhere. It's always all about money. Madame Marneffe seems almost unbelievable, that she could so completely deceive four men all at the same time. Her end seems contrived, as if she must suffer her just desserts. All the men, with the exception of Victorin, are just plain stupid; they are used simply for their money. Only Adeline is a saint, perhaps too much so. What would have happened if she had acted differently, instead of Balzac's pure model of true Christian love?
Rating:
Summary: An Ignored Classic
Review: Making a movie of it doesn't erase the world's crime of ignoring this great book. The equal of Dickens and James, Balzac has more energy and spirit, and a brighter palette. Cousin Bette has more plot than David Copperfield and sexier women than Valley of the Dolls. Madame Marneffe may be the most attractive monster (rhymes with itch) in literature, and Cousin Bette herself is all the Furies wrapped in an ugly old maid. One of the top fifty novels of all time.
Rating:
Summary: The Rubric of the Realist Movement
Review: This is a remarkable book, setting the template for Flaubert and Zola's respective journeys into the sordid human psyche. Lisbeth is a peasant girl from Alsace, bitter at her cousin Adeline's preferential treatment during their childhood. Vindictive Bette decides to cut the family from its wealth, as well as to debase her family personally. It's not difficult when Adeline's husband Hector becomes so weak-kneed over a pretty face that he would compromise his family if it came to a choice between sex and relatives. Lisbeth maneuvers skilfully, befriending Madame Marneffe, an unhappily married woman with numerous lovers who only wants to see her sickly husband made a manager of his governmental department. Installed in this household as a spy for hector (who is smitten with Marneffe), Lisbeth works toward an alliance with Marneffe, on one side to destroy the Hulot's, on the other to gain the love of Count Steinbock, to whom Lisbeth is a benefactress. I saw a feminist agenda in this novel. Consider: Whereas Hector Hulot is not frowned upon for his numerous infidelities, and indeed feels no guilt even though his longsuffering wife turns a blind eye, when Adeline, in trying to save her family, attempts to seduce a wealthy perfumer named Crevel, she fears dishonor for herself, and feels immeasurable guilt over the infidelity she never even commits. Could Balzac be commenting on the fact that both women and men should be allowed their indiscretions? Call it immaterial. Also, the female characters are by and large either intelligent and conniving (Madame Marneffe, Lisbeth), or beautiful and virtuous (Adeline, Hortense). The men are scandalously disloyal (Steinbock, Hector), or inneffectual and dissolute (Monsieur Marneffe, Crevel). A fresh perspective...from a male author. Great in every way, even if quite convoluted.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Balzac
Review: When Balzac set out to describe the entirety of human emotion, occupation, education, society and mores in France he focused many of the novels on life in Paris. While some may view this book as "soap", it nevertheless artfully describes the incredible social undercurrents, from the high to the low, within Parisian life in that time (1830's). Rich, and aspiring rich men, really did keep courtesans and flaunted their trophies in the same way the rich do today. Their wives often tacitly tolerated these relations even when their husbands displayed their girlfriends in public. Men also came to Paris from the outlying areas to achieve success, fame and become wealthy. Balzac writes vividly about all of this and frames the story within plots and subplots that are interesting and realistic. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Balzac
Review: When Balzac set out to describe the entirety of human emotion, occupation, education, society and mores in France he focused many of the novels on life in Paris. While some may view this book as "soap", it nevertheless artfully describes the incredible social undercurrents, from the high to the low, within Parisian life in that time (1830's). Rich, and aspiring rich men, really did keep courtesans and flaunted their trophies in the same way the rich do today. Their wives often tacitly tolerated these relations even when their husbands displayed their girlfriends in public. Men also came to Paris from the outlying areas to achieve success, fame and become wealthy. Balzac writes vividly about all of this and frames the story within plots and subplots that are interesting and realistic. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Balzac
Review: When Balzac set out to describe the entirety of human emotion, occupation, education, society and mores in France he focused many of the novels on life in Paris. While some may view this book as "soap", it nevertheless artfully describes the incredible social undercurrents, from the high to the low, within Parisian life in that time (1830's). Rich, and aspiring rich men, really did keep courtesans and flaunted their trophies in the same way the rich do today. Their wives often tacitly tolerated these relations even when their husbands displayed their girlfriends in public. Men also came to Paris from the outlying areas to achieve success, fame and become wealthy. Balzac writes vividly about all of this and frames the story within plots and subplots that are interesting and realistic. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Rating:
Summary: the same, only more and better
Review: When I described my fascination with Balzac to a pal of mine, I said, "yeah, it is all about disillusioned and cynical people" and he replied: "I am already disillusioned and cynical, so why should I read it?" Why indeed. This is indispuably one of the best of Balzac's novels, with clearly drawn characters and grim lives in an inexorable descent to self-destruction, which are the classic Balzac themes. It explores the life of a libertine as he ruins himself and his family for the sake of pursuing pretty girls. Unbekonst to him, he gets help from Bette, a cousin full of secret hatreds and bent on vengence. It is very sad to read. One minor character even commits suicide by repeatedly smashing his head into a nail, his only means to finish himself off he could find in his jail cell. So why read it? Well, again, it is for the wider social portraits that you can find, which are offered almost as an aside. Balzac in one section explains the politics behind the statues you see all over Paris, which is fascinating. You also learn of the career of courtisans, as they use their sex to advance themselves. The book is simply full of these thngs, in addition to the psychology of the many interesting main characters. Also unusual for Balzac is the coherency of the story, which does not degenerate into ramblings like many of his other novels as they weave the tapestry of his Comedie Humaine like so many threads, that is, as vehicles in his vast project to fully portray an entire society with characters re-appearing in different situations and venues throughout his interrelated novels. The characters stand on their own here and are more clearly drawn. Hence, it is a great intro to Balzac and may get you hooked for more, that is, if you are masochistic enough to subject yourself to it! Warmly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: the same, only more and better
Review: When I described my fascination with Balzac to a pal of mine, I said, "yeah, it is all about disillusioned and cynical people" and he replied: "I am already disillusioned and cynical, so why should I read it?" Why indeed. This is indispuably one of the best of Balzac's novels, with clearly drawn characters and grim lives in an inexorable descent to self-destruction, which are the classic Balzac themes. It explores the life of a libertine as he ruins himself and his family for the sake of pursuing pretty girls. Unbekonst to him, he gets help from Bette, a cousin full of secret hatreds and bent on vengence. It is very sad to read. One minor character even commits suicide by repeatedly smashing his head into a nail, his only means to finish himself off he could find in his jail cell. So why read it? Well, again, it is for the wider social portraits that you can find, which are offered almost as an aside. Balzac in one section explains the politics behind the statues you see all over Paris, which is fascinating. You also learn of the career of courtisans, as they use their sex to advance themselves. The book is simply full of these thngs, in addition to the psychology of the many interesting main characters. Also unusual for Balzac is the coherency of the story, which does not degenerate into ramblings like many of his other novels as they weave the tapestry of his Comedie Humaine like so many threads, that is, as vehicles in his vast project to fully portray an entire society with characters re-appearing in different situations and venues throughout his interrelated novels. The characters stand on their own here and are more clearly drawn. Hence, it is a great intro to Balzac and may get you hooked for more, that is, if you are masochistic enough to subject yourself to it! Warmly recommended.
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