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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>Lost Illusions: Ève and David</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lost-illusions-eve-and-david--7129659</link><description><![CDATA[Explore the intricate tapestry of ambition, love, and the harsh realities of life in the world of "Lost Illusions: Ève and David." This podcast delves into the struggles of creativity and the relentless pursuit of success, set against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic France. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that captures the essence of aspiration and disillusionment, reflecting on the interplay between personal dreams and societal expectations. As listeners journey through the challenges faced by Ève, David, and their contemporaries, they are invited to consider the sacrifices made for artistic integrity and the impact of competition on personal relationships. This is not a single story but a series of unique explorations that illuminate the complexities of human experience. Discover a new book with every episode and immerse yourself in the rich narratives that define the quest for meaning and fulfillment.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7129659/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/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg</url><title>Lost Illusions: Ève and David</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lost-illusions-eve-and-david--7129659</link></image><lastBuildDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:18:40 +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/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Explore the intricate tapestry of ambition, love, and the harsh realities of life in the world of "Lost Illusions: Ève and David." This podcast delves into the struggles of creativity and the relentless pursuit of success, set against the backdrop of...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Explore the intricate tapestry of ambition, love, and the harsh realities of life in the world of "Lost Illusions: Ève and David." This podcast delves into the struggles of creativity and the relentless pursuit of success, set against the backdrop of post-Napoleonic France. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that captures the essence of aspiration and disillusionment, reflecting on the interplay between personal dreams and societal expectations. As listeners journey through the challenges faced by Ève, David, and their contemporaries, they are invited to consider the sacrifices made for artistic integrity and the impact of competition on personal relationships. This is not a single story but a series of unique explorations that illuminate the complexities of human experience. Discover a new book with every episode and immerse yourself in the rich narratives that define the quest for meaning and fulfillment.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Kids &amp; Family"><itunes:category text="Pets &amp; Animals"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Science"><itunes:category text="Nature"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>6942248c-a24f-5a56-8a4e-89d32fe14378</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Poems of William Blake-William Blake</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/poems-of-william-blake-william-blake--74621178</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74621178</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:02:42 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74621178/poems_of_william_blake_william_blake.mp3" length="26451499" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3303</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Two Sides of a Question-May Sinclair</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/two-sides-of-a-question-may-sinclair--74588624</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74588624</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:02:48 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74588624/two_sides_of_a_question_may_sinclair.mp3" length="200103129" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>24988</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Spiritual Dialogue Between the Soul, the Body, Self-Love, the Spirit, Humanity, and the Lord God-Saint Catherine of Genoa</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/spiritual-dialogue-between-the-soul-the-body-self-love-the-spirit-humanity-and-the-lord-god-saint-catherine-of-genoa--74556892</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74556892</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:02:29 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74556892/spiritual_dialogue_between_the_soul_the_body_self_love_the_spirit_humanity_and_the_lord_god_saint_catherine_of_genoa.mp3" length="109920449" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13726</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Within and Without A Dramatic Poem-George MacDonald</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/within-and-without-a-dramatic-poem-george-macdonald--74524787</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74524787</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:08:23 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74524787/within_and_without_a_dramatic_poem_george_macdonald.mp3" length="128125605" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>16000</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Master Builder-Henrik Ibsen</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/master-builder-henrik-ibsen--74494229</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74494229</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:08:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74494229/master_builder_henrik_ibsen.mp3" length="68892279" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8603</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Cradock Nowell Vol. 3-Richard Doddridge Blackmore</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/cradock-nowell-vol-3-richard-doddridge-blackmore--74454423</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74454423</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:07:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74454423/cradock_nowell_vol_3_richard_doddridge_blackmore.mp3" length="237618610" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>29673</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>France At War On the Frontier of Civilization-Rudyard Kipling</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/france-at-war-on-the-frontier-of-civilization-rudyard-kipling--74422044</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74422044</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:08:34 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74422044/france_at_war_on_the_frontier_of_civilization_rudyard_kipling.mp3" length="49187898" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6142</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Shadow-Line-Joseph Conrad</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/shadow-line-joseph-conrad--74374789</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74374789</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:10:00 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74374789/shadow_line_joseph_conrad.mp3" length="111923338" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13976</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>One-Act Play Collection 021-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-act-play-collection-021-various--74335240</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74335240</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:40:37 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74335240/one_act_play_collection_021_various.mp3" length="140481961" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17542</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Colonel Chabert (Version 2)-Honoré de Balzac</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/colonel-chabert-version-2-honore-de-balzac--74192512</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74192512</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:08:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74192512/colonel_chabert_version_2_honore_de_balzac.mp3" length="87423413" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10917</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Canadians of Old-Philippe Aubert de Gaspé</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/canadians-of-old-philippe-aubert-de-gaspe--74145926</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74145926</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:08:55 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74145926/canadians_of_old_philippe_aubert_de_gaspe.mp3" length="273885626" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>34201</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Astrophel and Stella-Sir Philip Sidney</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/astrophel-and-stella-sir-philip-sidney--74107343</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74107343</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:08:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74107343/astrophel_and_stella_sir_philip_sidney.mp3" length="48482480" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6054</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Eugénie Grandet-Honoré de Balzac</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/eugenie-grandet-honore-de-balzac--73387410</link><description><![CDATA[Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac is a poignant exploration of wealth, ambition, and the human spirit set against the backdrop of early 19th-century France. The story delves into the life of Eugénie, a young woman whose life is shaped by her miserly father and the societal pressures of her time. This timeless narrative resonates with contemporary audiences as it highlights the struggles between personal desires and familial obligations, as well as the impact of greed on relationships. Balzac's masterful storytelling and rich character development invite listeners to reflect on the enduring themes of love, sacrifice, and the quest for happiness amidst societal constraints.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73387410</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:44:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73387410/euge_nie_grandet_honore_de_balzac.mp3" length="210070181" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac is a poignant exploration of wealth, ambition, and the human spirit set against the backdrop of early 19th-century France. The story delves into the life of Eugénie, a young woman whose life is shaped by her miserly...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac is a poignant exploration of wealth, ambition, and the human spirit set against the backdrop of early 19th-century France. The story delves into the life of Eugénie, a young woman whose life is shaped by her miserly father and the societal pressures of her time. This timeless narrative resonates with contemporary audiences as it highlights the struggles between personal desires and familial obligations, as well as the impact of greed on relationships. Balzac's masterful storytelling and rich character development invite listeners to reflect on the enduring themes of love, sacrifice, and the quest for happiness amidst societal constraints.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>26233</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Lost Illusions Eve and David - Honore de Balzac</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/lost-illusions-eve-and-david-honore-de-balzac--72689406</link><description><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72689406</guid><pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:02:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72689406/lost_illusions_eve_and_david_honore_de_balzac.mp3" length="240125108" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Honoré de Balzac</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Ève and David (1843) is the final book in Balzac’s Lost Illusions trilogy, which is part of his sweeping set of novels collectively titled La Comédie Humaine. The story is set in post-Napoleonic France. In the first volume of the trilogy (Two Poets, 1837), we meet Lucien Chardon, an aspiring poet frustrated by the pettiness of provincial life. In the second volume (A Distinguished Provincial at Paris, 1839) Lucien, now using the more aristocratic-sounding surname "de Rubempré," leaves his family in order to seek fame and fortune in the literary world of Paris. By the end of that book, he faced imminent emotional and financial collapse.In this present volume, the reader is returned to the provincial town of Angoulême, where Lucien's sister Ève and her husband, Lucien's friend David, have been desperately struggling against clever competition to keep a their printing shop afloat. Their situation is complicated when Lucien's financial distress spills over into their lives.Balzac’s work was hugely influential in the development of realism in fiction. The Lost Illusions trilogy is one of his greatest achievements, and is named in the reference work 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (Summary by Bruce Pirie)Other volumes in this series:Lost Illusions: Two PoetsLost Illusions: A Distinguished Provincial at Paris The story of Lucien de Rubempré continues in the sequel, Scenes from a Courtesan's Life]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>30016</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>balzac,david,distinguished,illusions,lost,lucien,paris,provincial,rubempr,trilogy</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/b7ce4c08b901e75b2333f3c4325a4005.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
