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La Comédie Humaine #15
The Message
By the French author, who, along with Flaubert, is generally regarded as a founding-father of realism in European fiction. His large output of works, collectively entitled The Human Comedy (La Comédie Humaine), consists of 95 finished works (stories, novels and essays) and 48 unfinished works. His stories are an attempt to comprehend and depict the realities of life in contemporary bourgeois France. They are placed in a variety of settings, with characters reappearing in multiple stories.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1833
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216 people want to read
About the author
Honoré de Balzac
9,533 books4,362 followersFrench writer Honoré de Balzac (born Honoré Balzac), a founder of the realist school of fiction, portrayed the panorama of society in a body of works, known collectively as
La comédie humaine
.
Honoré de Balzac authored 19th-century novels and plays. After the fall of Napoléon in 1815, his magnum opus, a sequence of almost a hundred novels and plays, entitled, presents life in the years.
Due to keen observation of fine detail and unfiltered representation, European literature regards Balzac. He features renowned multifaceted, even complex, morally ambiguous, full lesser characters. Character well imbues inanimate objects; the city of Paris, a backdrop, takes on many qualities. He influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, Émile Zola, Charles John Huffam Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Jack Kerouac as well as important philosophers, such as Friedrich Engels. Many works of Balzac, made into films, continue to inspire.
An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac adapted with trouble to the teaching style of his grammar. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Balzac finished, and people then apprenticed him as a legal clerk, but after wearying of banal routine, he turned his back on law. He attempted a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician before and during his career. He failed in these efforts From his own experience, he reflects life difficulties and includes scenes.
Possibly due to his intense schedule and from health problems, Balzac suffered throughout his life. Financial and personal drama often strained his relationship with his family, and he lost more than one friend over critical reviews. In 1850, he married Ewelina Hańska, his longtime paramour; five months later, he passed away.
Honoré de Balzac authored 19th-century novels and plays. After the fall of Napoléon in 1815, his magnum opus, a sequence of almost a hundred novels and plays, entitled, presents life in the years.
Due to keen observation of fine detail and unfiltered representation, European literature regards Balzac. He features renowned multifaceted, even complex, morally ambiguous, full lesser characters. Character well imbues inanimate objects; the city of Paris, a backdrop, takes on many qualities. He influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, Émile Zola, Charles John Huffam Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Jack Kerouac as well as important philosophers, such as Friedrich Engels. Many works of Balzac, made into films, continue to inspire.
An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac adapted with trouble to the teaching style of his grammar. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Balzac finished, and people then apprenticed him as a legal clerk, but after wearying of banal routine, he turned his back on law. He attempted a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician before and during his career. He failed in these efforts From his own experience, he reflects life difficulties and includes scenes.
Possibly due to his intense schedule and from health problems, Balzac suffered throughout his life. Financial and personal drama often strained his relationship with his family, and he lost more than one friend over critical reviews. In 1850, he married Ewelina Hańska, his longtime paramour; five months later, he passed away.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 29, 2021
When Balzac starts this short story, it seems to be from his youth as he states below in the following passage.
"I have always longed to tell a simple and true story, which should strike terror into two young lovers, and drive them to take refuge each in the other’s heart, as two children cling together at the sight of a snake by a woodside. At the risk of spoiling my story and of being taken for a coxcomb, I state my intention at the outset. I myself played a part in this almost commonplace tragedy; so if it fails to interest you, the failure will be in part my own fault, in part owing to historical veracity."
I did not read this edition but a Delphi collection of his works and it provided with a brief synopsis below.
"This 1832 short story concerns a journey that the narrator made one day, when traveling from Paris to Moulins. He was on an outside seat due to his lack of funds, whilst the gentleman sitting next to him was outside by choice. They began talking and soon found out that they were both in love with the same older married woman." .
Story in short- two young men are traveling and conversing on their lives when tragedy strikes.
Balzac knows life and he especially knows grieving for a loss of a loved one which is message of this short story.
When these men share secrets about themselves to each other, I was thinking of the mistake in talking while traveling publicly which was in his story, "A Start in Life", I suppose rules can be changed due to judgement calls.
💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢 spoiler alert💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢
I was thinking that this mistress was also his mistress but I was really off, just plain grief. Balzac tells a story from his youth about traveling with a gentleman and talking of love; an accident occurs which kills the gentleman. Before his death he looks to have a key given to Balzac to open up the letters to his married mistress and that Balzac return them. He gives them to her and her grief is strong but having nothing of her lover except he gave her a lock of his hair.
"I have always longed to tell a simple and true story, which should strike terror into two young lovers, and drive them to take refuge each in the other’s heart, as two children cling together at the sight of a snake by a woodside. At the risk of spoiling my story and of being taken for a coxcomb, I state my intention at the outset. I myself played a part in this almost commonplace tragedy; so if it fails to interest you, the failure will be in part my own fault, in part owing to historical veracity."
I did not read this edition but a Delphi collection of his works and it provided with a brief synopsis below.
"This 1832 short story concerns a journey that the narrator made one day, when traveling from Paris to Moulins. He was on an outside seat due to his lack of funds, whilst the gentleman sitting next to him was outside by choice. They began talking and soon found out that they were both in love with the same older married woman." .
Story in short- two young men are traveling and conversing on their lives when tragedy strikes.
Balzac knows life and he especially knows grieving for a loss of a loved one which is message of this short story.
When these men share secrets about themselves to each other, I was thinking of the mistake in talking while traveling publicly which was in his story, "A Start in Life", I suppose rules can be changed due to judgement calls.
💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢 spoiler alert💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢
I was thinking that this mistress was also his mistress but I was really off, just plain grief. Balzac tells a story from his youth about traveling with a gentleman and talking of love; an accident occurs which kills the gentleman. Before his death he looks to have a key given to Balzac to open up the letters to his married mistress and that Balzac return them. He gives them to her and her grief is strong but having nothing of her lover except he gave her a lock of his hair.
July 5, 2018
There is not much to this slim tale, an early installment in Balzac's Human Comedy. Published in 1832, just a few years after Les Chouans, "The Message" deals with familiar themes in the human comedy: principally duty and infidelity. The way that Balzac treats infidelity in his works suggests that it was exceedingly commonplace among the aristocracy in the day and that it was an open secret, husbands oftentimes well aware of the affairs of their wives, but turning a blind eye, as they too had mistresses on the side. There is something autobiographical too, in this story, from what we know of Balzac's own love life.
The story starts strong with justification for its telling:
I have always longed to tell a simple and true story, which should strike terror into two young lovers, and drive them to take refuge each in the other's heart, as two children cling together at the sight of a snake by a woodside. At the risk of spoiling my story and of being taken for a coxcomb, I state my intention at the outset.
I myself played a part in this almost commonplace tragedy; so if it fails to interest you, the failure will be in part my own fault, in part owing to historical veracity. Plenty of things in real life are superlatively uninteresting; so that it is one-half of art to select from realities those which contain possibilities of poetry.
But while the beginning had me hooked, it proved itself uninteresting after a few paragraphs (though perhaps less so than "plenty of [other] things in real life"), tiring in both its themes and style.
The story starts strong with justification for its telling:
I have always longed to tell a simple and true story, which should strike terror into two young lovers, and drive them to take refuge each in the other's heart, as two children cling together at the sight of a snake by a woodside. At the risk of spoiling my story and of being taken for a coxcomb, I state my intention at the outset.
I myself played a part in this almost commonplace tragedy; so if it fails to interest you, the failure will be in part my own fault, in part owing to historical veracity. Plenty of things in real life are superlatively uninteresting; so that it is one-half of art to select from realities those which contain possibilities of poetry.
But while the beginning had me hooked, it proved itself uninteresting after a few paragraphs (though perhaps less so than "plenty of [other] things in real life"), tiring in both its themes and style.
December 18, 2013
The original French text at La Bibliothèque électronique du Québec.
Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
Opening lines:
J'ai toujours eu le désir de raconter une histoire simple et vraie, au récit de laquelle un jeune homme et sa maîtresse fussent saisis de frayeur et se réfugiassent au coeur l'un de l'autre, comme deux enfants qui se serrent en rencontrant un serpent sur le bord d'un bois.
3* La maison du Chat-qui-pelote (1830)
3* Le bal de Sceaux (1830)
3* La Bourse (1830)
4* La Vendetta (1830)
3* Madame Firmiani (1832)
3* Une Double Famille (1830)
4* La paix du ménage (1830)
3* La Fausse Maîtresse (1842)
3* Étude de femme (1830)
4* Albert Savarus (1842)
4* Mémoires de Deux Jeunes Mariées (1841)
3* Le Colonel Chabert (1844, first published as La transaction, 1832)
4* Une fille d'Eve (1839)
3* La Femme Abandonee (1833)
4* La Grenadière (1832)
3* Le Message (1833)
Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
Opening lines:
J'ai toujours eu le désir de raconter une histoire simple et vraie, au récit de laquelle un jeune homme et sa maîtresse fussent saisis de frayeur et se réfugiassent au coeur l'un de l'autre, comme deux enfants qui se serrent en rencontrant un serpent sur le bord d'un bois.
3* La maison du Chat-qui-pelote (1830)
3* Le bal de Sceaux (1830)
3* La Bourse (1830)
4* La Vendetta (1830)
3* Madame Firmiani (1832)
3* Une Double Famille (1830)
4* La paix du ménage (1830)
3* La Fausse Maîtresse (1842)
3* Étude de femme (1830)
4* Albert Savarus (1842)
4* Mémoires de Deux Jeunes Mariées (1841)
3* Le Colonel Chabert (1844, first published as La transaction, 1832)
4* Une fille d'Eve (1839)
3* La Femme Abandonee (1833)
4* La Grenadière (1832)
3* Le Message (1833)
May 12, 2022
(The Human Comedy #34 of 98)
Probably not quite worth 4 stars, but it’s so nice to read a short, simple and satisfying tale from Balzac that I was more than happy to round it up.
This short story is remarkably focused and concise - especially for Balzac. We’re introduced to two young men, strangers but of similar ages and background who share the seats on the roof of a carriage travelling from Paris to Moulins. Over the journey they grow close, ultimately sharing tales of their loves - both being older, married women.
An accident leaves one of them dying and he charges the other with the task of taking the news to his lover personally, along with returning the lady’s love letters.
And alongside the concluding visit to the lady herself that’s essentially all there is to it. And after reading so many stories / novels from Balzac that are stuffed to the ginnel with unnecessary digressions into the history of a cellar on a Parisian street corner, or the previous 50 years in the life of a side character, this was a welcome relief. Nothing profound, nothing unexplored by other writers, but refreshing indeed.
Probably not quite worth 4 stars, but it’s so nice to read a short, simple and satisfying tale from Balzac that I was more than happy to round it up.
This short story is remarkably focused and concise - especially for Balzac. We’re introduced to two young men, strangers but of similar ages and background who share the seats on the roof of a carriage travelling from Paris to Moulins. Over the journey they grow close, ultimately sharing tales of their loves - both being older, married women.
An accident leaves one of them dying and he charges the other with the task of taking the news to his lover personally, along with returning the lady’s love letters.
And alongside the concluding visit to the lady herself that’s essentially all there is to it. And after reading so many stories / novels from Balzac that are stuffed to the ginnel with unnecessary digressions into the history of a cellar on a Parisian street corner, or the previous 50 years in the life of a side character, this was a welcome relief. Nothing profound, nothing unexplored by other writers, but refreshing indeed.
January 1, 2020
Conto curto, no máximo regular, passável. Dividido em duas partes, se ressente da presença do narrador relator, o qual reduz em muito o interesse que o leitor pudesse vir a ter nas personagens da primeira parte; em vez de mostrar os diálogos e as reações e ações de cada personagem, o narrador impotente (ou apressado) fica tentando convencer que as personagens são muito amáveis e que estabeleceram entre si um tal vínculo que obrigaria uma a levar a cabo os desejos de moribundo da outra.
A segunda parte é mais rica em ação e diálogo, mas o narrador passa a ser um tanto intrujão. A figura da Condessa "Julieta" é sumamente desinteressante. Desperta a curiosidade, muito mais, o Conde cornudo, com sua indiferença à esposa e comportamento bizarro que adota quando está longe dela. Daria uma grande personagem, talvez, se Balzac a tivesse desenvolvido.
A trama toda é bem boba e, sinceramente, não comoveu o meu coração de pedra, ainda que eu deva admitir que o paralelismo entre as cartas guardadas e as queimadas e a perenidade do tufo de cabelo é bastante interessante -- de um ponto de vista cerebrino, claro, e não como móbil do sentimento.
A segunda parte é mais rica em ação e diálogo, mas o narrador passa a ser um tanto intrujão. A figura da Condessa "Julieta" é sumamente desinteressante. Desperta a curiosidade, muito mais, o Conde cornudo, com sua indiferença à esposa e comportamento bizarro que adota quando está longe dela. Daria uma grande personagem, talvez, se Balzac a tivesse desenvolvido.
A trama toda é bem boba e, sinceramente, não comoveu o meu coração de pedra, ainda que eu deva admitir que o paralelismo entre as cartas guardadas e as queimadas e a perenidade do tufo de cabelo é bastante interessante -- de um ponto de vista cerebrino, claro, e não como móbil do sentimento.
August 10, 2024
Très courte nouvelle de Balzac. C’est une pépite comme souvent
April 26, 2015
Narrado em primeira pessoa o conto traz a história de dois jovens rapazes que se conhecem durante uma viagem de carruagem e passam a trocar confidências amorosas. O tema gira em torno de suas preferências por mulheres bem mais velhas e as vantagens de se relacionar com elas. Até que acontece algo extremamente dramático, dramático demais para o meu gosto e a coisa descamba para aqueles desfechos balzaquianos bem exagerados.
Firme e forte em meus planos de ler a CH mas preciso de algo mais significativo em sua grandiosa obra.
Histórico de leitura
29% (5 de 17)
"Sempre tive o desejo de contar uma história simples e verdadeira, no decorrer da qual um jovem e sua amante fossem tomados de pavor e se refugiassem um no coração do outro, como duas crianças que se achegam ao encontrar uma serpente na orla de um bosque."
Firme e forte em meus planos de ler a CH mas preciso de algo mais significativo em sua grandiosa obra.
Histórico de leitura
29% (5 de 17)
"Sempre tive o desejo de contar uma história simples e verdadeira, no decorrer da qual um jovem e sua amante fossem tomados de pavor e se refugiassem um no coração do outro, como duas crianças que se achegam ao encontrar uma serpente na orla de um bosque."
November 21, 2016
A short story of two gentlemen travelling on a coach. They both realize they have mistresses. When one gentleman is close to death, due to a freak accident, the other is given a mission to deliver a letter to his forbidden love.
Simple, free-flowing writing and storytelling, providing good insight into mid-19th century French society, class and romantic entanglements. Worth a read.
This short story forms part of Balzac's La Comédie Humaine, a series of interlinked novels and stories and plays.
Simple, free-flowing writing and storytelling, providing good insight into mid-19th century French society, class and romantic entanglements. Worth a read.
This short story forms part of Balzac's La Comédie Humaine, a series of interlinked novels and stories and plays.
March 16, 2023
Interesting read, strange how Balzac seems to almost enjoy being the bringer of bad news. The ironic tone of the story and awkwardness of the situation he finds himself in makes it all the more enjoyable, yet this being said Balzac also succeeds on maintaining the tragicness of the narrative.
December 20, 2024
En su afán infinito por innovar, en esta vigesimosexta escena de "La comedia humana", Balzac se convierte en el protagonista. La historia comienza de manera plácida, cuando el propio autor coge una diligencia para viajar de París a Moulins. Allí se encuentra con un joven guaperas y simpático, con el que hace buenas migas y pronto comienzan a contarse confidencias sobre sus amores, gran parte de ellos con mujeres casadas.
Cuando parece que la historia va a ser un ejemplo más de costumbrismo balzaciano, el autor nos sorprende provocando un accidente en el carruaje, que se convierte en mortal para el pobre compañero de viaje. Desde ese momento, Balzac se convierte en el responsable de llevar un mensaje a la amada del fallecido, consiguiendo además hacerlo delante del marido.
El final del libro es tan bonito que lo replico, y no es un spoiler, porque no desvela nada sobre la trama: "Qué delicia la de haber podido referir esta aventura a una mujer que, temerosa, os ha estrechado contra su pecho, diciéndoos: '¡Oh, querido! ¡No te me mueras tú!'".
Cuando parece que la historia va a ser un ejemplo más de costumbrismo balzaciano, el autor nos sorprende provocando un accidente en el carruaje, que se convierte en mortal para el pobre compañero de viaje. Desde ese momento, Balzac se convierte en el responsable de llevar un mensaje a la amada del fallecido, consiguiendo además hacerlo delante del marido.
El final del libro es tan bonito que lo replico, y no es un spoiler, porque no desvela nada sobre la trama: "Qué delicia la de haber podido referir esta aventura a una mujer que, temerosa, os ha estrechado contra su pecho, diciéndoos: '¡Oh, querido! ¡No te me mueras tú!'".
September 9, 2019
A Tale Written with "Old English" Structure
If you enjoy Downton Abbey sort of stories, you may appreciate this mode of early English writing more than others from the Millenial era. I admire his almost prose-like approach to an engaging, yet albeit sad, tale. Indeed, a few words are used that will have some modern English majors scrambling through their vocabulary lessons for definition! A good read for me; requires a particular appreciation for this eloquent era of history. These were the days of calligraphy penmanship; etiquette expressed in person, and through love letters now preserved in museums or historical venues. (Ah, the lost art of decency!) However, do not be naive: this is a tale with an undercurrent of betrayal by a mistress to her unknowing husband.
If you enjoy Downton Abbey sort of stories, you may appreciate this mode of early English writing more than others from the Millenial era. I admire his almost prose-like approach to an engaging, yet albeit sad, tale. Indeed, a few words are used that will have some modern English majors scrambling through their vocabulary lessons for definition! A good read for me; requires a particular appreciation for this eloquent era of history. These were the days of calligraphy penmanship; etiquette expressed in person, and through love letters now preserved in museums or historical venues. (Ah, the lost art of decency!) However, do not be naive: this is a tale with an undercurrent of betrayal by a mistress to her unknowing husband.
July 27, 2024
By the French author, who, along with Flaubert, is generally regarded as a founding-father of realism in European fiction. His large output of works, collectively entitled The Human Comedy (La Comédie Humaine), consists of 95 finished works (stories, novels and essays) and 48 unfinished works. His stories are an attempt to comprehend and depict the realities of life in contemporary bourgeois France. They are placed in a variety of settings, with characters reappearing in multiple stories.
Genres
France
Classics
French Literature
Short Stories
Historical Fiction
Fiction
19th Century
Genres
France
Classics
French Literature
Short Stories
Historical Fiction
Fiction
19th Century
May 31, 2017
A charming story!
November 2, 2018
جوانی واسطه رساندن پیامی به معشوقه دوستش میشود.
July 26, 2020
I really can't do with all this dying for love stuff that Balzac is so fond of. Get a grip!
August 11, 2020
A short and simple but moving short story about a young Frenchmen charged by a dying man to carry the latter’s last message to his mistress.
January 23, 2021
Boring, misogynistic and pretentious dribble.
March 20, 2021
A powerful short story with.a final twist.
October 2, 2021
Souverän. Kurze Erzählung.
September 2, 2023
Otra vez infidelidad, esta vez con un poco de tragedia y el compromiso de entregar un mensaje.
November 23, 2023
el mensaje
May 12, 2024
It was a quick and interesting classic to read, I liked it!
November 22, 2025
Milf hunter diaries
March 12, 2012
Le Message c'est l'histoire de deux jeunes hommes qui font connaissance lors d'un voyage en diligence. En discutant ensemble, ils se rendent compte qu'ils ont plusieurs points en commun. Cependant, le malheur frappe et un des deux jeune est écrasé lorsque la diligence se renverse sur lui. Su son lit de mort, le jeune agonisant demande à son compagnon d'aviser sa maîtresse de son décès.
Je que j'ai le plus aimé ce cette histoire c'est sa simplicité. J'ai aussi trouvé que cette simplicité rendait les personnages plus attachants. De plus, j'ai trouvé la fin adorable et beaucoup moins lourde que la plupart des autres romans de Balzac.
Je que j'ai le plus aimé ce cette histoire c'est sa simplicité. J'ai aussi trouvé que cette simplicité rendait les personnages plus attachants. De plus, j'ai trouvé la fin adorable et beaucoup moins lourde que la plupart des autres romans de Balzac.
September 5, 2014
A very short story indeed, it took less than 10 minutes to read. It begins with the narrator sharing a perch on top of a carriage with another young man; as the journey progresses they share stories of their lovers, and how they find older women so attractive.
An accident happens, and the young man is asked by his dying companion to retrieve the lady's love letters from his home and break the news to her gently.
And he does so, without too much angst caused by the husband's presence. That's it!
An accident happens, and the young man is asked by his dying companion to retrieve the lady's love letters from his home and break the news to her gently.
And he does so, without too much angst caused by the husband's presence. That's it!
April 25, 2016
Ich mag Balzacs, wie soll ich es beschreiben, amouröse Schwermut? in diese Geschichte. Es ist nur eine kleine Novelle, aber er schafft es, einen Einblick in die damalige bessere Gesellschaft zu geben, der in diesem Fall pikant und nichtsdestotrotz vielsagend ist.
May 31, 2014
more of the same
October 4, 2020
Die zwei Handlungsstränge erscheinen für mich zusammenhanglos. Ich verstehe nicht worauf der Autor hinaus möchte, da die Geschichte kurz ist, bleibt das Ende offen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews