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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Ursula</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ursula--7129658</link><description><![CDATA[Immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of human relationships, ambition, and the complexities of inheritance as you delve into the world of "Ursula." This podcast invites listeners to explore the intricate dynamics between wealth and familial ties, where love and greed often collide. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that reflects themes of loyalty, entitlement, and the societal pressures of 19th-century France, providing a unique lens on how these forces shape individual destinies. The stories selected resonate with the mystical undertones of Balzac's work, weaving in elements of spiritualism and the supernatural that challenge our understanding of reality. This is not a single narrative but a series of unique explorations designed to provoke thought and evoke emotion. Join us on this journey of discovery, where every episode offers a fresh perspective and an opportunity to uncover new literary gems.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7129658/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright 1900s genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg</url><title>Ursula</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ursula--7129658</link></image><lastBuildDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:19:22 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>1900s genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker77@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of human relationships, ambition, and the complexities of inheritance as you delve into the world of "Ursula." This podcast invites listeners to explore the intricate dynamics between wealth and familial ties, where...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of human relationships, ambition, and the complexities of inheritance as you delve into the world of "Ursula." This podcast invites listeners to explore the intricate dynamics between wealth and familial ties, where love and greed often collide. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that reflects themes of loyalty, entitlement, and the societal pressures of 19th-century France, providing a unique lens on how these forces shape individual destinies. The stories selected resonate with the mystical undertones of Balzac's work, weaving in elements of spiritualism and the supernatural that challenge our understanding of reality. This is not a single narrative but a series of unique explorations designed to provoke thought and evoke emotion. Join us on this journey of discovery, where every episode offers a fresh perspective and an opportunity to uncover new literary gems.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"/><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Religion"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>9d22585a-193b-5806-a305-0587c37182c6</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Tysons-May Sinclair</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tysons-may-sinclair--74623189</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74623189</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:02:40 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74623189/tysons_may_sinclair.mp3" length="142347448" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17776</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>American Politician-Francis Marion Crawford</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/american-politician-francis-marion-crawford--74591003</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74591003</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:02:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74591003/american_politician_francis_marion_crawford.mp3" length="273345452" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>34134</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Comical History of Don Quixote, Part 1-Thomas D'Urfey</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/comical-history-of-don-quixote-part-1-thomas-d-urfey--74559018</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74559018</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:02:44 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74559018/comical_history_of_don_quixote_part_1_thomas_d_urfey.mp3" length="98899118" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>12350</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Duchess of Langeais-Honoré de Balzac</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/duchess-of-langeais-honore-de-balzac--74526702</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74526702</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:08:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74526702/duchess_of_langeais_honore_de_balzac.mp3" length="208683253" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>26059</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Salem Witchcraft, the Planchette Mystery, and Modern Spiritualism-Harriet Beecher Stowe, Samuel Robert Wells</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/salem-witchcraft-the-planchette-mystery-and-modern-spiritualism-harriet-beecher-stowe-samuel-robert-wells--74496020</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74496020</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:08:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74496020/salem_witchcraft_the_planchette_mystery_and_modern_spiritualism_harriet_beecher_stowe_samuel_robert_wells.mp3" length="156368722" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19527</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Shelley Selected Poems and Prose-Percy Bysshe Shelley</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/shelley-selected-poems-and-prose-percy-bysshe-shelley--74456438</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74456438</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:07:53 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74456438/shelley_selected_poems_and_prose_percy_bysshe_shelley.mp3" length="201931411" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25216</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Tutankhamen and the Discovery of His Tomb by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Mr. Howard Carter-Sir Grafton Elliot Smith</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tutankhamen-and-the-discovery-of-his-tomb-by-the-late-earl-of-carnarvon-and-mr-howard-carter-sir-grafton-elliot-smith--74424240</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74424240</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:08:23 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74424240/tutankhamen_and_the_discovery_of_his_tomb_by_the_late_earl_of_carnarvon_and_mr_howard_carter_sir_grafton_elliot_smith.mp3" length="65973568" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8238</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Running Water-A. E. W. Mason</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/running-water-a-e-w-mason--74377787</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74377787</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:01:51 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74377787/5569_running_water_a_e_w_mason.mp3" length="248837065" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>31073</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>On Comparative Longevity in Man and the Lower Animals-E. Ray Lankester</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/on-comparative-longevity-in-man-and-the-lower-animals-e-ray-lankester--74337993</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74337993</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 20:32:43 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74337993/on_comparative_longevity_in_man_and_the_lower_animals_e_ray_lankester.mp3" length="126288827" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>15770</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Master of the World-Jules Verne</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/master-of-the-world-jules-verne--74195767</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74195767</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:08:59 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74195767/1755_master_of_the_world_jules_verne.mp3" length="141683876" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17693</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>First From the Front-Harold Ashton</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/first-from-the-front-harold-ashton--74148872</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74148872</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:08:42 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74148872/first_from_the_front_harold_ashton.mp3" length="141136095" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17624</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Convivio-Dante Alighieri</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/convivio-dante-alighieri--74109322</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74109322</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:08:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74109322/convivio_dante_alighieri.mp3" length="266936512" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>33333</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Soren Kierkegaard, Various Readings-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/soren-kierkegaard-various-readings-various--73389699</link><description><![CDATA["Soren Kierkegaard, Various Readings-Various" presents a collection of insightful reflections from one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century. Kierkegaard's explorations of faith, existence, and the complexities of the human condition resonate deeply, offering listeners a profound understanding of the struggles inherent in the pursuit of meaning. His thoughts challenge us to confront our own beliefs and the existential dilemmas we face today. As we navigate a world filled with uncertainty and questions of identity, Kierkegaard's timeless wisdom encourages us to embrace our individuality and the nuances of our experiences.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73389699</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:33:43 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73389699/soren_kierkegaard_various_readings_various.mp3" length="128630190" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Soren Kierkegaard, Various Readings-Various" presents a collection of insightful reflections from one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century. Kierkegaard's explorations of faith, existence, and the complexities of the human...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Soren Kierkegaard, Various Readings-Various" presents a collection of insightful reflections from one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century. Kierkegaard's explorations of faith, existence, and the complexities of the human condition resonate deeply, offering listeners a profound understanding of the struggles inherent in the pursuit of meaning. His thoughts challenge us to confront our own beliefs and the existential dilemmas we face today. As we navigate a world filled with uncertainty and questions of identity, Kierkegaard's timeless wisdom encourages us to embrace our individuality and the nuances of our experiences.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>16062</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ursula - Honore de Balzac - Part 2</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ursula-honore-de-balzac-part-2--72689400</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72689400</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:00:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72689400/ursula_honore_de_balzac_part_2.mp3" length="41546021" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5194</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>balzac,doctor,exclusions,goddaughter,inheritance,mirou,mystical,relatives,ursula,ursule</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ursula - Honore de Balzac - Part 1</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ursula-honore-de-balzac-part-1--72689398</link><description><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72689398</guid><pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:01:52 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72689398/ursula_honore_de_balzac_part_1.mp3" length="271862006" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[“Ursula,” first published in French in 1841 as “Ursule Mirouët,” is part of Balzac’s great suite of novels, collectively titled “The Human Comedy.” A wealthy, elderly doctor has raised as his goddaughter a child who is the daughter of his deceased brother-in-law — a man who was himself illegitimate by birth. The doctor retires to a provincial town that is filled with his relatives by birth and inter-marriage. By French inheritance laws of the time, these relatives have a right to expect at least a share of the doctor’s wealth upon his death. In contrast, the beloved goddaughter — who is legally not “related” to him — has no automatic claim to inheritance. This sets up a situation in which the crass and materialistic relatives frantically try to lay hands on the whole of the doctor’s inheritance. There is also in the novel a strand of occult spiritualism. Balzac was fascinated by paranormal and mystical experience. Here we see evidence of his interest in Franz Mesmer’s theories (“mesmerism” prefiguring the later science of hypnotism) and the ideas of the Swedish mystical theologian Emanuel Swedenborg. Modern readers — who may think of Balzac as one of the founders of realism in fiction — probably scoff at and discount the brief episodes of seances and occultism. In truth, however, Balzac’s interest in these fields was shared by many European intellectuals and artists of his time. However improbable these elements may seem to us today, for Balzac, the spiritual and the material worlds were not contradictory exclusions, but realities that reach into each other’s realms. Balzac himself considered this novel to be the very best that he had written up to this point in his career. - Summary by Bruce Pirie]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>33983</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>balzac,doctor,exclusions,goddaughter,inheritance,mirou,mystical,relatives,ursula,ursule</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8da865f0bee2b1d44ac7ec96644d94e4.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
