Vicky’s Comments (group member since Apr 10, 2011)

Vicky’s comments from the Should have read classics group.

Our bad feelings are pretty much the same, I really don't remember much of the story. Vautrin is Goriot's alter ego I think, he is also a father figure but he represents all that is opposite to Goriot. it's already clear that he deals in suspicious things, coming back to the house late at night, etc. He seems to want to take Rastignac under his wing and teach him a thing or two, at least influence him.

Great quote! You have a talent for picking them out!

How innocent is Rastignac? Is he honest with himself or closing his eyes on his own failings? Goriot's daughters are painted as egoistical (among other things) in their bleeding of their father's fortune. I'm not convinced Rastignac is entirely above egoism when he asks his mother and his sisters separately and secretly (from each other and from his father) for more money? He excuses himself by saying that since the future of his family rests entirely on his shoulders, he must succeed not only professionally but in society as well. He is really that innocent and well intentioned, that detached from his personal interest? At this point I'm not convinced and it's been so long I don't remember, what do you think?

I'm finally finished, it was a long and difficult read for me between the difficulty of the dialog and the constant use of the dictionary required due to the detailed plant life, farming and hunting vocabulary (even though I wasn't born and raised as a city girl). The last part did make up for some of it but it's not something I'm likely to read again.

One of the things that puzzled me and that I had to stop and think about after I finished is the fact that right from the beginning, and all through the novel, I kept expecting, Penny, the father character to die. Weird hum?! Perhaps it has to do with the idealistic portrait that was painted of him, maybe I expected Jody's growing up having to do with trying to live up to the image of is father? I was totally off.

I find it interresting that paternity is a strong theme in "To kill a mockingbird", in "The yearling" and in "Le Père Goriot". Maternity, in my experience, seems to be addressed more often in literature but curiously right now in my (our) reading it's paternity that seems to take center stage...

Lisa wrote: "Oh, I'm so sorry about your little one. I hope that she is feeling better. I must say though, it is nice when they just want to huddle and cuddle with you all day, it seems to only happen when th..."

Thank you! She still has fever this evening, non-stop for 48 hours and she's losing her voice but still she manages to be in a good mood! I admit there is a part of me that just loves holding her, I hope she doesn't grow out of that too soon! My hubby is sleeping in her bed and she's sleeping with me until she's better.

Wow indeed! I knew Balzac was prolific but didn't quite expect it to be that much.

Good question, I'll have to research that one, I know there's a lot but have no idea how much. I haven't been reading much either, my little one is sick with a bad cold, fever and all. All she wants is to be in my arms so I'm not much further along.

I am having difficulties reading this one; by reading the words I can't understand a good part of the dialog, I have to read out loud to guess what the words should be, otherwise I can't figure it out. I understand the purpose is to try to be as close as possible to the character's spoken language, but part of me can't help but find this annoying. It took me five minutes to figure out that injuns was really Indians.

It makes perfect sense Lisa. He is at a point in his life that will define the man he will become!

Yes, some characters show up in other books! This novel is the first where Balzac did that consciously with a project for his entire production past and future in mind.

This is exactly why I joined this group, I knew I was bound to discover some treasures I was unaware of! I loved this book, thanks group! A discovery like that is priceless, I've already convinced my other half to read it and am gonna be giving a copy to my Dad. I love sharing a great novel!

That's fine with me as well!

Great quote! Poor Goriot indeed! How do you find Rastignac? I find it delightful how he keeps "making mistakes" in his first tries at being part of the "high society". So many unknow rules for a foreigner, he's like a lost little lamb at this point.

I find Balzac so "efficient" in his writing, in painting portraits that seem so accurate in the human traits he wishes to put forward, in manipulating the reader as well. We feel for the characters exactly what he wants us to feel, he leaves no room for ambivalence. I guess, now that I'm older, I understand better how Flaubert felt when he was jealous of Balzac, I now see how efficient he can be in very little words.

He's painted a thourough picture of every character that inhabits the Vauquer pension, it is very clear for me what each and every character is about, yet, as I was reading all his description, part of me kept thinking that he introduces too many characters before he even starts telling the story, I kept thinking I would get mixed up in the characters but, no, they've all been described so precisely, yet with economy of words, that I can't mix them up, even if I'm reading 3 novels at the same time. I hadn't read Balzac in many years and I have to admit I'm amazed how skilled he is...

Wow! I knew there was a good reason why I try to read in the original language if possible! Quite a difference!

I love your comment on Mrs Vauquer! That's exactly it!

Flaubert (Madame Bovary, I see you've read it) who was struggling at every word he wrote, used to envy Balzac because he was so prolific and yet his writing quality didn't suffer for it at all, he was a little jealous because it seemed so easy for Balzac. I think it shows in the writing, how easily it flows that it wasn't a painful process for him or maybe that's just my perception but there's a lightness (as opposed to heavy and dense) in his writing and description, and not light in a pejorative way either, light as in it makes the flows easier.

Think you're wright about Dickens too!

No needles to clean up! The smell though wouldn't be quite right! A great idea though!

I hope your Mom can read it with us! I'm not far along, I hardly read this week!

His descriptions are great! In French, he does say that it smells like an "hospice" which could translate as a nursing home indeed. In English they've chosen to use hospital instead ? (an odd choice, my French-English dictionary translate as an old people's home...but the use of the word was different back then, I'm thinking perhaps hospital was the closest the translator could get to the reality of what an "hospice" was? It was an old people's home yes, but also an orphan's house an a home for people who suffered from incurable diseases... So maybe the choice of hospital isn't that odd even though that's not quite it?) Here's the quote:

“The damp atmosphere sends a chill through you as you breathe it; it has a stuffy, musty, and rancid quality; it permeates your clothing; after-dinner scents seem to be mingled in it with smells from the kitchen and scullery and the reek of a hospital.”

I also loved the description of Mrs Vauquer! It's like in his descriptions Balzac uses all our senses: look, smell, touch are widely present in the descriptions and I can easily imagine what would the sounds be like and I feel I know what the food would taste like. I find his descriptions brings us, readers, right there by using our senses.

According to the notes in my edition, Balzac said that Goriot's story was true, it is considered possible but has never been verified or denied to satisfaction. It is believed he could have become aware of such a drama during his internships in 1817 or 1818 at the notary Passez or at the attorney Guillonnet-Merville. There is also the fact that he had a landlord (from 1830 on Cassini street) who was a wheat merchant, just like Goriot. It is not known for sure if he inspired Balzac for Goriot or if he served as a model for the character.

I find it interesting to know that there might have been a real Goriot.

By the way, I read it 18 years ago (June of 93 is the date I wrote down in my copy), so it's almost as if I was reading it for the first time, it's too long ago for me to remember in details.

You've no idea! I was a coward, didn't go further than the knees!

Is anybody else joining us for the buddy read?

We had a wonderful time, thank you, we needed this little vacation as a family and we're lucky enough to have beautiful weather! My two loved ones are ocean lovers and even though it was cold they couldn't resist going in.

I will be reading both books silmulteniously, I still have some time before I go back to work!

I always read the book first if it's something I wish to read, mostly because I like to create my own image of the characters. I will often go see the movie but will always keep in mind that it is another medium of expression and that it is subject to much more restrictions than the written word. I also keep in mind that if it was a novel first, the writer had a blank page in front of him, therefore complete freedom while the director has to work from someone else material and subjectivity will definitely find it's way in there.

The Name of the Rose is one exemple where I enjoyed both the book and the movie, yes there was a lot missing from the book but the essence was there and it was so beautiful! The Lord of the Rings is another exemple where I loved both books and movies but then again I was already a Peter Jackson fan!

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is on the other hand a great book that was not given justice by it's movie counterpart.

Since there is always an exception to every rule, I have to admit that I haven't seen the movie based on Silk which is one of m'y favorite novel ever. The first time I read it, I thought THIS is was beauty is! I don't know what the English translation is like but the French one is exquisite. I never dared to see the movie, maybe one day...

I just finished a wonderful book Ru, the kind of book that stays with you a long time. It's not out in English yet as far as I can tell but given the media and public attention it has gotten plus the fact that it has won the Governor's General prize, it shouldn't be long before it's translated... It's simply beautiful! It's definitely a top book for 2011 for me!

Great stairs!!!