Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes

About “Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes”

Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes is a novel by Honoré de Balzac, published in four parts between 1838 and 1847. It was translated under various titles, including The Splendors and Miseries of Courtesans and A Harlot High and Low. The work includes the stories "Esther Happy," "What Love Costs an Old Man," "The End of Evil Ways," and "The Last Incarnation of Vautrin." The novel explores themes of love, ambition, and social mobility through the lives of its characters. Balzac's work is part of his larger La Comédie Humaine series, which portrays French society in the 19th century. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)