Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) was a French novelist and playwright, renowned as one of the founders of realism in European literature. His magnum opus, 'La Comédie humaine', is a series of interlinked novels and stories depicting the intricacies of French society in the post-Napoleonic era. A master of character and dialog, Balzac's immense body of work reflects his keen observations of detail and ...