022 - Chapter 3g

from Chouans · host Honoré de Balzac

“The Chouans” (1829) marks a significant milestone as the first novel published under Balzac’s own name, initiating his monumental series, “The Human Comedy.” Inspired by Sir Walter Scotts ability to bring history to life through fiction, Balzac set his tale in the tumultuous year of 1799, when Napoleon rose to power as First Consul of France. In the remote region of Brittany, the Chouans—an anti-revolutionary guerrilla militia—fought fiercely to overturn the French Revolution and restore the Bourbon monarchy. Opposing them were the Republics forces, known as “the Blues.” Balzac meticulously researched this historical era and the living conditions of the Bretons, skillfully intertwining real events with a poignant love story that crosses the divide of conflicting loyalties. “The Chouans” stands as an early and influential work of historical fiction, a genre that flourished in the 1800s and continues to captivate audiences in modern literature and film. - Summary by Bruce Pirie

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022 - Chapter 3g

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Chouans (version 2) by Honoré de Balzac Loyal Books “The Chouans” was the first novel published under Balzac’s own name . It became the first book in the great work of his lifetime — the novel series titled “The Human Comedy.”Balzac was impressed by the writings of Sir Walter Scott. Scott made Scottish history come alive by creating fictions that used real history as backdrop. Balzac’s novel is set in 1799 — the year that Napoleon became First Consul of France. In the far west of France , anti-revolutionary sentiment still simmered. The Chouans were a rustic guerrilla militia who wanted to undo the French Revolution and restore the old Bourbon monarchy. Pitted against them were the forces of the new Republic and its military . Balzac researched this historical period as well as living conditions for Bretons of that time, then wove into the actual history his own fictional account of a romance between lovers from opposite factions in the dispute.In “The Chouans,” we see an early and influential example of “historical fiction,” a gen Chouans, The by Honoré de Balzac (1799 - 1850) LibriVox Les Chouans is one of the novels in Balzac's series La Comedie Humaine. Its ostensible focus is a historical military conflict, but it also follows the love affair between an aristocratic beauty with one of the rebels. Chouans, The by Honoré de Balzac (1799 - 1850) ciesse Les Chouans is one of the novels in Balzac's series La Comedie Humaine. Its ostensible focus is a historical military conflict, but it also follows the love affair between an aristocratic beauty with one of the rebels. Chouans (version 2), The by Honoré de Balzac (1799 - 1850) ciesse “The Chouans” (1829) was the first novel published under Balzac’s own name (rather than a pen-name). It became the first book in the great work of his lifetime — the novel series titled “The Human Comedy.”Balzac was impressed by the writings of Sir Walter Scott. Scott made Scottish history come alive by creating fictions that used real history as backdrop. Balzac’s novel is set in 1799 — the year that Napoleon became First Consul of France. In the far west of France (i.e., Brittany), anti-revolutionary sentiment still simmered. The Chouans were a rustic guerrilla militia who wanted to undo the French Revolution and restore the old Bourbon monarchy. Pitted against them were the forces of the new Republic and its military (“the Blues”). Balzac researched this historical period as well as living conditions for Bretons of that time, then wove into the actual history his own fictional account of a romance between lovers from opposite factions in the dispute.In “The C

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