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La Comédie Humaine #49
The Bureaucrats
The Bureaucrats (Les Employes) stands out in Balzac's immense Human Comedy by concentrating precisely and penetratingly on a distinctive "modern" France's state bureaucracy. Rabourdin, aided by his unscrupulous wife, attempts to reorganize and streamline the entire system. Rabourdin's plan will halve the government's size while doubling its revenue. When the plan is leaked, Rabourdin's rival—an utter incompetent—gains the overwhelming support of the frightened and desperate body of low-ranking functionaries.
The novel contains the recognizable themes of Balzac's obsessive ambition, conspiracy and human pettiness, and a melodramatic struggle between the social good and the evils of folly and stupidity. It is also an unusual, dramatized analysis of a developing political institution and its role in shaping social class and mentality.
The novel contains the recognizable themes of Balzac's obsessive ambition, conspiracy and human pettiness, and a melodramatic struggle between the social good and the evils of folly and stupidity. It is also an unusual, dramatized analysis of a developing political institution and its role in shaping social class and mentality.
247 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1838
27 people are currently reading
386 people want to read
About the author
Honoré de Balzac
9,540 books4,363 followersFrench writer Honoré de Balzac (born Honoré Balzac), a founder of the realist school of fiction, portrayed the panorama of society in a body of works, known collectively as
La comédie humaine
.
Honoré de Balzac authored 19th-century novels and plays. After the fall of Napoléon in 1815, his magnum opus, a sequence of almost a hundred novels and plays, entitled, presents life in the years.
Due to keen observation of fine detail and unfiltered representation, European literature regards Balzac. He features renowned multifaceted, even complex, morally ambiguous, full lesser characters. Character well imbues inanimate objects; the city of Paris, a backdrop, takes on many qualities. He influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, Émile Zola, Charles John Huffam Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Jack Kerouac as well as important philosophers, such as Friedrich Engels. Many works of Balzac, made into films, continue to inspire.
An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac adapted with trouble to the teaching style of his grammar. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Balzac finished, and people then apprenticed him as a legal clerk, but after wearying of banal routine, he turned his back on law. He attempted a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician before and during his career. He failed in these efforts From his own experience, he reflects life difficulties and includes scenes.
Possibly due to his intense schedule and from health problems, Balzac suffered throughout his life. Financial and personal drama often strained his relationship with his family, and he lost more than one friend over critical reviews. In 1850, he married Ewelina Hańska, his longtime paramour; five months later, he passed away.
Honoré de Balzac authored 19th-century novels and plays. After the fall of Napoléon in 1815, his magnum opus, a sequence of almost a hundred novels and plays, entitled, presents life in the years.
Due to keen observation of fine detail and unfiltered representation, European literature regards Balzac. He features renowned multifaceted, even complex, morally ambiguous, full lesser characters. Character well imbues inanimate objects; the city of Paris, a backdrop, takes on many qualities. He influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, Émile Zola, Charles John Huffam Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Jack Kerouac as well as important philosophers, such as Friedrich Engels. Many works of Balzac, made into films, continue to inspire.
An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac adapted with trouble to the teaching style of his grammar. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Balzac finished, and people then apprenticed him as a legal clerk, but after wearying of banal routine, he turned his back on law. He attempted a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician before and during his career. He failed in these efforts From his own experience, he reflects life difficulties and includes scenes.
Possibly due to his intense schedule and from health problems, Balzac suffered throughout his life. Financial and personal drama often strained his relationship with his family, and he lost more than one friend over critical reviews. In 1850, he married Ewelina Hańska, his longtime paramour; five months later, he passed away.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 30, 2010
This is the second time I have read this edition of Honoré de Balzac's Les Employés (translated as The Bureaucrats. France of the 1830s and 1840s -- the period of the so-called "July Monarchy" -- is governed by a "citizen king" who rules through a massive bureaucracy. In this short novel, we are treated to an epic battle between two factions for the post occupied by the deceased La Billardière: Messrs Rabourdin, a talented administrator, and Baudoyer, a well-connected dolt. In The Bureaucrats, we see all the back-door conniving and arm-twisting, the threats, the false promises, and the reactions of a large cast of bureaucrats in several departments who are sucked into the battle.
The Rabourdins are in debt and badly need the position to pull themselves out of a hole: "The thought of her debts crossed Madame Rabourdin's mind and dazed her, as if two lightning flashes had blinded both eyes at once; her ears buzzed under the heightened pressure of the blood that pounded in her arteries; she remained quite bewildered for a moment, staring at a curtain hook without actually seeing it."
Without giving away the plot, the key here as in most of Balzac's works, is to follow the trail of the money. Not only are people frequently ruined financially, but usually by envious persons who form a cabal to do their dirty work. As In César Birotteau, Père Goriot, and Lost Illusions, this cabal's activity is at the heart of the novel. Sometimes, the villain wins; less frequently, the hero wins.
Over the years, I have read approximately 60% of the author's voluminous work. Even the novels I have read several times (especially Père Goriot are among the most profound studies of misery in the material realm. If you decide to play the game, you can find yourself facing utter, condign defeat of yourself, your family, and all who love you. This is Balzac at his most devious, at his very best.
Merged review:
In the France of Louis-Philippe, the so-called "Citizen King," France is administered by a series of giant bureaucracies. When one department head dies, there is a scramble to replace him. The two candidates are Rabourdin, a talented and honest administrator, and the dolt Baudoyer. Balzac studies how Rabourdin and Baudoyer and their allies connive to win the coveted post. Because this is a Balzac novel, we have the usual cabal of individuals -- consisting here of an unusually large cast of characters -- who unite to add their voice to the sirling whirlwind.
This is an excellent short novel by Honoré de Balzac which deserves to be more frequently read. It is actually more tightly written than most. The only fault this edition has is a lack of notes in the text, especially a translation of Latin and French expressions. (This is curious because the introduction is followed by several pages of end notes.)
The Rabourdins are in debt and badly need the position to pull themselves out of a hole: "The thought of her debts crossed Madame Rabourdin's mind and dazed her, as if two lightning flashes had blinded both eyes at once; her ears buzzed under the heightened pressure of the blood that pounded in her arteries; she remained quite bewildered for a moment, staring at a curtain hook without actually seeing it."
Without giving away the plot, the key here as in most of Balzac's works, is to follow the trail of the money. Not only are people frequently ruined financially, but usually by envious persons who form a cabal to do their dirty work. As In César Birotteau, Père Goriot, and Lost Illusions, this cabal's activity is at the heart of the novel. Sometimes, the villain wins; less frequently, the hero wins.
Over the years, I have read approximately 60% of the author's voluminous work. Even the novels I have read several times (especially Père Goriot are among the most profound studies of misery in the material realm. If you decide to play the game, you can find yourself facing utter, condign defeat of yourself, your family, and all who love you. This is Balzac at his most devious, at his very best.
Merged review:
In the France of Louis-Philippe, the so-called "Citizen King," France is administered by a series of giant bureaucracies. When one department head dies, there is a scramble to replace him. The two candidates are Rabourdin, a talented and honest administrator, and the dolt Baudoyer. Balzac studies how Rabourdin and Baudoyer and their allies connive to win the coveted post. Because this is a Balzac novel, we have the usual cabal of individuals -- consisting here of an unusually large cast of characters -- who unite to add their voice to the sirling whirlwind.
This is an excellent short novel by Honoré de Balzac which deserves to be more frequently read. It is actually more tightly written than most. The only fault this edition has is a lack of notes in the text, especially a translation of Latin and French expressions. (This is curious because the introduction is followed by several pages of end notes.)
February 16, 2025
Geduldsprobe oder Leserquälerei?
In Sachen Milieu, gesellschaftliche Komponenten, Vorstellung der Versuchsanordnung geht Balzac methodischer vor als sein Enkel Zola, der seine Leser schon mal mitten in den Konflikt hinein wirft.
Jedenfalls bei seinen historischen oder eher soziologischen Romanen, die eine ganze Klasse ins Visier nehmen. Gleichbedeutend mit einer längeren Exposition, bei denen der Leser gewissermaßen dem Aufstellen der Figuren auf dem Spielbrett zusehen muss, sowie allerlei Eröffnungszügen ausgesetzt ist, die vergleichsweise banal wirken, ehe sich das letzte Drittel zu einer spannenden Verkettung der Umstände entwickelt.
In Les employes spielt ein ziemlich vielfältiges Ensemble mit, gleichbedeutend mit allerlei Motivationsknäueln und unzähligen Querverbindungen, sowie allerlei Aha-Erlebnissen für Auskenner.
Zum Einstieg ist der Roman, Feuerwerkfinale hin oder her, nur bedingt geeignet. Ohne das Aufspüren von bislang unbekannten Querverbindungen zum Hauptstrang kann die Exposition schon zum Geduldsspiel werden oder sich wie eine endlose Quälerei anfühlen.
Die Konfliktlage !!!Enthält leichte Spoiler!!!
Xavier Raboudin, unehelicher Sohn eines unbekannt gebliebenen Granden macht, dank eines unbekannten Gönners, schnell Fortschritte im Amt. Mit Celestine Lapierre heiratet er eine polyglotte Frau, die für glänzende Auftritte auf dem diplomatischen Parkett erzogen wurde, aber keinen passenden Kandidaten aus dem Hochadel an Land ziehen konnte. Doch der rasch aufgestiegene Karrierebeamte verspricht einen geeigneten Rahmen für ihre Talente. Entsprechende Erwartungen werden enttäuscht, der unbekannte Gönner stellt seine Förderung ein, Papa Lapierre ist eines der zahlreichen Opfer der ganz legalen Betrügereien des Finanznapoleons Nucingen (Das Haus Nucingen). Zu allem Überfluss bedankt sich Ludwig XVIII. bei einem Getreuen aus der Zeit des Vendeeaufstands mit der Stelle, auf die Xavier spekuliert hatte.
Als der Amtsinhaber seinem König ins Jenseits nachfolgt, spricht alles für den eigentlichen Macher.
Während er die ganze Arbeit für die Knallcharge leistet, entwickelt er eine Verwaltungsreform, deren Umsetzung nur zwei Angehörige seines Büros überleben würden. Zwei Drittel aller Beamten würden an die Luft gesetzt, der deutlich mehr beschäftige Rest würde dagegen drei mal so viel verdienen. Der Teufel steckt, wie so oft im Detail, der einzige Vertraute ist ein Praktikant, der das brisante Dokument über Nacht im Büro vergisst. Und leider zieht Xavier seine schlauere Frau erst ins Vertrauen, als die Streichliste mit den vernichtenden Beurteilungen schon in Umlauf gebracht wurde. Viel zu viele Leute haben ein Interesse daran, dass an seiner Stelle der unfähige Baudoyer befördert wird, um im Schatten des absehbaren Versagens des Nichtskönners die Karriereleiter schneller hinaufzufallen. So weit die Konfliktlage im Büro.
Machenschaften auf höhere Ebene !!!Verrät schon mehr!!!
Nicht nur im Büro gibt es zu viele Leute, die etwas zu verlieren haben, wenn der Tüchtige ins Amt kommt. De Lupeaulx, ein hinter den Kulissen alt gewordener Mann für schmutzige Dschobs hat sein Auge auf Celestine geworfen und will sich seinen Einfluss mit ihrer Gunst erkaufen lassen. Die Klassefrau versucht den unerwünschten Verehrer auszumanövrieren, kennt aber nicht die eigentliche Achillesferse des auf der Karriereleiter stecken gebliebenen Werkzeugs der Mächtigen.
DL ist hoch verschuldet und braucht noch viel mehr Geld, um Ländereien zu kaufen, damit er genug Grundsteuern zahlt, um für ein seriöses Amt in Frage zu kommen. Baudoyers Frau, schlauer als ihr Mann und der finanzielle Motor des Haushalts ist mit den Gläubigern von de Lupeaulx verwandt und mit den Nöten des alt gewordenen Womanizers vertraut. Alle diese Faktoren kommen in einem Showdown zusammen. Beim Empfang des Ministers für die engsten Freunde, versucht Celeste, die Bürointrige mit ihrem Charme und diplomatischem Geschick zu kontern und gewinnt das Vertrauen der, vermeintlich maßgeblichen Instanz. Der Minister verspricht ihr alles, hat aber nicht mit dem Gesinnungswechsel bei seinem Werkzeug gerechnet.
De Lupeaulx, der anfangs gedacht hatte, er würde hinterher seinen Lohn einstreichen können, bekommt nämlich indessen ein Angebot, das er nicht ablehnen kann, wenn seine Karrierepläne aufgehen sollen.
Die Moral von der Geschicht' !!!Absolut spoilerträchtig!!!
Die Finanzwirtschaft kauft sich bei dieser Gelegenheit ein williges Werkzeug mit wenig Risiko, denn die Einkünfte der Ländereien reichen nicht einmal für die Zinsen. Die Zweitverwertung des Karrieresprungbretts für die Marionette ist bereits einkalkuliert.
Hätte sich Celeste rechtzeitig auf de Lupeaulx Avancen eingelassen, wäre ihr Mann befördert worden, doch der Gewinn an Einsicht, dass man in der freien Wirtschaft oder als Unternehmer viel schneller reich werden kann, wiegt alles auf. Das Paar Raboudin geht gestärkt aus der Niederlage hervor, Xaviers eigentlicher Aufstieg beginnt erst, er wird Direktor der Eisenbahngesellschaft.
Als Raboudin ein Jahr später sein früheres Büro betritt, sind nur noch die Bürodiener im Amt, einige Kandidaten haben seine Einschätzungen ihrer wirklichen Talente für eine Karriere außerhalb des Beamtentums genutzt, die jenseits ihres Kompetenz beförderten Luschen wurden auf Posten weggelobt, wo sie keinen größeren Schaden anrichten können. In anderen Romanen lässt Balzac die Verbrecher schon mal davon kommen, ehe andernorts das Karma zurück schlägt (z.B. Eine düstere Affäre/Glanz und Elend der Kurtisanen). In den Employes gibt es keine offensichtlichen losen Fäden in Sachen Gerechtigkeit. Büroclown und Chef-Karikaturist Bixiou darf in Das Haus Nucingen allerdings die ganzen betrügerischen Machenschaften des kaltherzigen Finanznapoleons aufdröseln, den sein Karma dann auch in Glanz und Elend heimsucht, wo sich der Obertrickser zum Narren machen lässt.
In Sachen Milieu, gesellschaftliche Komponenten, Vorstellung der Versuchsanordnung geht Balzac methodischer vor als sein Enkel Zola, der seine Leser schon mal mitten in den Konflikt hinein wirft.
Jedenfalls bei seinen historischen oder eher soziologischen Romanen, die eine ganze Klasse ins Visier nehmen. Gleichbedeutend mit einer längeren Exposition, bei denen der Leser gewissermaßen dem Aufstellen der Figuren auf dem Spielbrett zusehen muss, sowie allerlei Eröffnungszügen ausgesetzt ist, die vergleichsweise banal wirken, ehe sich das letzte Drittel zu einer spannenden Verkettung der Umstände entwickelt.
In Les employes spielt ein ziemlich vielfältiges Ensemble mit, gleichbedeutend mit allerlei Motivationsknäueln und unzähligen Querverbindungen, sowie allerlei Aha-Erlebnissen für Auskenner.
Zum Einstieg ist der Roman, Feuerwerkfinale hin oder her, nur bedingt geeignet. Ohne das Aufspüren von bislang unbekannten Querverbindungen zum Hauptstrang kann die Exposition schon zum Geduldsspiel werden oder sich wie eine endlose Quälerei anfühlen.
Die Konfliktlage !!!Enthält leichte Spoiler!!!
Xavier Raboudin, unehelicher Sohn eines unbekannt gebliebenen Granden macht, dank eines unbekannten Gönners, schnell Fortschritte im Amt. Mit Celestine Lapierre heiratet er eine polyglotte Frau, die für glänzende Auftritte auf dem diplomatischen Parkett erzogen wurde, aber keinen passenden Kandidaten aus dem Hochadel an Land ziehen konnte. Doch der rasch aufgestiegene Karrierebeamte verspricht einen geeigneten Rahmen für ihre Talente. Entsprechende Erwartungen werden enttäuscht, der unbekannte Gönner stellt seine Förderung ein, Papa Lapierre ist eines der zahlreichen Opfer der ganz legalen Betrügereien des Finanznapoleons Nucingen (Das Haus Nucingen). Zu allem Überfluss bedankt sich Ludwig XVIII. bei einem Getreuen aus der Zeit des Vendeeaufstands mit der Stelle, auf die Xavier spekuliert hatte.
Als der Amtsinhaber seinem König ins Jenseits nachfolgt, spricht alles für den eigentlichen Macher.
Während er die ganze Arbeit für die Knallcharge leistet, entwickelt er eine Verwaltungsreform, deren Umsetzung nur zwei Angehörige seines Büros überleben würden. Zwei Drittel aller Beamten würden an die Luft gesetzt, der deutlich mehr beschäftige Rest würde dagegen drei mal so viel verdienen. Der Teufel steckt, wie so oft im Detail, der einzige Vertraute ist ein Praktikant, der das brisante Dokument über Nacht im Büro vergisst. Und leider zieht Xavier seine schlauere Frau erst ins Vertrauen, als die Streichliste mit den vernichtenden Beurteilungen schon in Umlauf gebracht wurde. Viel zu viele Leute haben ein Interesse daran, dass an seiner Stelle der unfähige Baudoyer befördert wird, um im Schatten des absehbaren Versagens des Nichtskönners die Karriereleiter schneller hinaufzufallen. So weit die Konfliktlage im Büro.
Machenschaften auf höhere Ebene !!!Verrät schon mehr!!!
Nicht nur im Büro gibt es zu viele Leute, die etwas zu verlieren haben, wenn der Tüchtige ins Amt kommt. De Lupeaulx, ein hinter den Kulissen alt gewordener Mann für schmutzige Dschobs hat sein Auge auf Celestine geworfen und will sich seinen Einfluss mit ihrer Gunst erkaufen lassen. Die Klassefrau versucht den unerwünschten Verehrer auszumanövrieren, kennt aber nicht die eigentliche Achillesferse des auf der Karriereleiter stecken gebliebenen Werkzeugs der Mächtigen.
DL ist hoch verschuldet und braucht noch viel mehr Geld, um Ländereien zu kaufen, damit er genug Grundsteuern zahlt, um für ein seriöses Amt in Frage zu kommen. Baudoyers Frau, schlauer als ihr Mann und der finanzielle Motor des Haushalts ist mit den Gläubigern von de Lupeaulx verwandt und mit den Nöten des alt gewordenen Womanizers vertraut. Alle diese Faktoren kommen in einem Showdown zusammen. Beim Empfang des Ministers für die engsten Freunde, versucht Celeste, die Bürointrige mit ihrem Charme und diplomatischem Geschick zu kontern und gewinnt das Vertrauen der, vermeintlich maßgeblichen Instanz. Der Minister verspricht ihr alles, hat aber nicht mit dem Gesinnungswechsel bei seinem Werkzeug gerechnet.
De Lupeaulx, der anfangs gedacht hatte, er würde hinterher seinen Lohn einstreichen können, bekommt nämlich indessen ein Angebot, das er nicht ablehnen kann, wenn seine Karrierepläne aufgehen sollen.
Die Moral von der Geschicht' !!!Absolut spoilerträchtig!!!
Die Finanzwirtschaft kauft sich bei dieser Gelegenheit ein williges Werkzeug mit wenig Risiko, denn die Einkünfte der Ländereien reichen nicht einmal für die Zinsen. Die Zweitverwertung des Karrieresprungbretts für die Marionette ist bereits einkalkuliert.
Hätte sich Celeste rechtzeitig auf de Lupeaulx Avancen eingelassen, wäre ihr Mann befördert worden, doch der Gewinn an Einsicht, dass man in der freien Wirtschaft oder als Unternehmer viel schneller reich werden kann, wiegt alles auf. Das Paar Raboudin geht gestärkt aus der Niederlage hervor, Xaviers eigentlicher Aufstieg beginnt erst, er wird Direktor der Eisenbahngesellschaft.
Als Raboudin ein Jahr später sein früheres Büro betritt, sind nur noch die Bürodiener im Amt, einige Kandidaten haben seine Einschätzungen ihrer wirklichen Talente für eine Karriere außerhalb des Beamtentums genutzt, die jenseits ihres Kompetenz beförderten Luschen wurden auf Posten weggelobt, wo sie keinen größeren Schaden anrichten können. In anderen Romanen lässt Balzac die Verbrecher schon mal davon kommen, ehe andernorts das Karma zurück schlägt (z.B. Eine düstere Affäre/Glanz und Elend der Kurtisanen). In den Employes gibt es keine offensichtlichen losen Fäden in Sachen Gerechtigkeit. Büroclown und Chef-Karikaturist Bixiou darf in Das Haus Nucingen allerdings die ganzen betrügerischen Machenschaften des kaltherzigen Finanznapoleons aufdröseln, den sein Karma dann auch in Glanz und Elend heimsucht, wo sich der Obertrickser zum Narren machen lässt.
March 21, 2021
I have read a great deal of Balzac. In this book, he describes a thoroughly corrupt society. It involves love money and social standing. I have to admit a few of the characters were complicated at times, but the plot was interesting in post - Napoleonic France.
Of course, there lots of details of the French civil service in that period. Another classic by Balzac.
Highly recommended.
Of course, there lots of details of the French civil service in that period. Another classic by Balzac.
Highly recommended.
October 24, 2018
La versione che ho letto è quella della Garzanti "i grandi libri" di 249 pagine con ISBN 978-88-11-36726-0 con la traduzione di Argia Micchettoni (terza edizione maggio 2017).
Dopo questa lettura posso sostenere che Balzac si conferma un autentico esplosivo narratore della vita umana, il suo è un affresco decorato a tinte forti, che non lascia nemmeno un angolino della tela scoperto, ci fa vivere in prima persona in mezzo ad una marea di personaggi, che spesso ci confondono per quanti sono. Siamo presenti in quegli uffici, dei quali ne sentiamo gli odori, ci sembra di toccare carte e timbri, possiamo vivere i sentimenti dei protagonisti.
La storia, soprattutto nella parte centrale, sebbene Balzac abbia cura di descriverci in modo esaustivo i principali personaggi, si affolla di persone, quasi da lasciarci sgomenti ma bisogna continuare a leggere perché tutto ciò fa parte di quel mondo.
Il denaro, come spesso in Balzac, è un protagonista silenzioso ma ingombrante, "ci si deve inchinare al risultato dei conti, rendere omaggio alle cifre e baciare il piede forcuto del vitello d'oro".
Balzac scriveva oltre un secolo fa ed allora non esisteva il marketing ma lui nuovamente esplode con una frase che ci porta dritti ad un secolo dopo "Le famiglie sono ossessionate dal bisogno di sentirsi in armonia col lusso che le circonda da ogni parte, e di conseguenza ce ne sono poche tanto prudenti da conservare l'aspetto esteriore nei limiti dell reali possibilità del bilancio domestico", quanti spot pubblicitari vivono su questo concetto?
Inoltre, come affermava Engels (si, quello di Marx), si può imparare più l'economia da Balzac che leggendo ripiani interi di articoli economici: "Se i Borboni vogliono regnare in pace debbono creare benestanti fin nelle più umili borgate e soprattutto impedire agli stranieri di incassare interessi sul suolo francese (ma potrebbe essere benissimo quello italiano d'oggi, cambia poco) altrimenti un giorno vorranno anche il capitale". Se avessimo letto negli anni 80/90 questo paffuto comico scrittore quante noie ci saremmo evitati.
Questi sono degli spunti, ma Balzac ad ogni riga ci suggerisce qualcosa, anche mesi dopo averlo letto, quante volte mi viene in mente Papà Goriot con le figlie (con una generazione che fa e l'altra distrugge), i suoi enormi sacrifici che sarebbero stati forse evitati se avesse loro insegnato almeno alcune righe del Dhammapada...
Dopo questa lettura posso sostenere che Balzac si conferma un autentico esplosivo narratore della vita umana, il suo è un affresco decorato a tinte forti, che non lascia nemmeno un angolino della tela scoperto, ci fa vivere in prima persona in mezzo ad una marea di personaggi, che spesso ci confondono per quanti sono. Siamo presenti in quegli uffici, dei quali ne sentiamo gli odori, ci sembra di toccare carte e timbri, possiamo vivere i sentimenti dei protagonisti.
La storia, soprattutto nella parte centrale, sebbene Balzac abbia cura di descriverci in modo esaustivo i principali personaggi, si affolla di persone, quasi da lasciarci sgomenti ma bisogna continuare a leggere perché tutto ciò fa parte di quel mondo.
Il denaro, come spesso in Balzac, è un protagonista silenzioso ma ingombrante, "ci si deve inchinare al risultato dei conti, rendere omaggio alle cifre e baciare il piede forcuto del vitello d'oro".
Balzac scriveva oltre un secolo fa ed allora non esisteva il marketing ma lui nuovamente esplode con una frase che ci porta dritti ad un secolo dopo "Le famiglie sono ossessionate dal bisogno di sentirsi in armonia col lusso che le circonda da ogni parte, e di conseguenza ce ne sono poche tanto prudenti da conservare l'aspetto esteriore nei limiti dell reali possibilità del bilancio domestico", quanti spot pubblicitari vivono su questo concetto?
Inoltre, come affermava Engels (si, quello di Marx), si può imparare più l'economia da Balzac che leggendo ripiani interi di articoli economici: "Se i Borboni vogliono regnare in pace debbono creare benestanti fin nelle più umili borgate e soprattutto impedire agli stranieri di incassare interessi sul suolo francese (ma potrebbe essere benissimo quello italiano d'oggi, cambia poco) altrimenti un giorno vorranno anche il capitale". Se avessimo letto negli anni 80/90 questo paffuto comico scrittore quante noie ci saremmo evitati.
Questi sono degli spunti, ma Balzac ad ogni riga ci suggerisce qualcosa, anche mesi dopo averlo letto, quante volte mi viene in mente Papà Goriot con le figlie (con una generazione che fa e l'altra distrugge), i suoi enormi sacrifici che sarebbero stati forse evitati se avesse loro insegnato almeno alcune righe del Dhammapada...
September 18, 2014
"Chapter IV" is a masterpiece of prose portraiture. In style, execution and energy, this transcends genre (19th-century realism, romanticism, modernism, magic realism, etc.) and can most easily and naturally be called great. If Whitman were born earlier, in Paris, and dedicated himself to prose fiction, this is what we would've gotten. Balzac sweeps his lens through the offices of the division and gives us more than fifteen human, familiar-to-life secondary characters sketched in just a few dozen pages - Billardiere's shadowy, haughty executive assistant La Briere; perspicacious head footman Antoine and his two nephews; weaselly mediocre Dutocq; aspiring writer du Bruel pen-named "Cursy"; useless taxonomy enthusiast Godard; genial academical Phellion; dissipated metrosexual Vimeux; the irrepressible Bixiou (who appears elsewhere in La Comedie to great effect), here seen as the office clown in his natural habitat; sincere, tired, industrious Minard; Colleville, anagrammatist-seer, and his work-husband Thuillier; flummoxed diarist Poiret the Younger (sibling to the more famous Poiret, retired pensioner living at Vauquin's boarding house in Pere Goriot); Fleury, half-crazed veteran Bonapartist maybe ready to go postal; Desroys, a quiet enigma to all, another kind of crazy entirely; and Billardiere's own son, vapid beneficiary of gross nepotism and a completely empty suit - each with histories, scenes from their home lives, aspirations, physiognomies, peccadillos, beliefs, habits, each adding interlocking facets of detail to the workplace's tapestry, and, consequently, as Balzac says himself, the design of the larger world. White-hot prose tours de force like this give you a real sense of not only the breadth but also the depth of B.'s entire canvas. La Comedie is frankly dizzying in its scope, as massively comprehensive in its (highly readable) way as Proust's La Recherche, Tolstoy's War & Peace and Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha, and acknowledged parent to each of those: and chapters like this are wonderfully illustrative of why it's worth it to immerse yourself in Balzac's work beyond just the two or three traditionally-touted novels.
April 21, 2013
Altro mattone della grande casa
Più ci si addentra nella lettura della Comédie humaine più si rimane incantati dalla grandiosità del progetto balzacchiano, che è sicuramente il più ambizioso tentativo di descrivere letterariamente una società ed un'epoca.
In questo episodio i protagonisti, come dice il titolo, sono gli impiegati, dirigenti, funzionari e lavoratori della pubblica amministrazione francese dell'epoca. E' straordinario come Balzac riesca a imbastire una storia che è in grado di rivelarci tutte le bassezze, gli opportunismi, le stupidità, i piccoli e grandi tradimenti del microcosmo impiegatizio. Quasi una metà del libro è impiegata dal nostro per introdurre l'ambiente e i tipi umani che saranno protagonisti della storia: questo rende Gli impiegati un libro insolito, per lunghi tratti quasi un saggio descrittivo di caratteri e modi di pensare.
La storia, poi, si dispiega in tutta la sua grande piccineria, e come al solito Balzac non fa sconti a nessuno: ancora una volta sarà l'interesse, l'ambizione per il potere ed il desiderio di denaro a decidere il destino dei protagonisti.
Se lo sguardo di Balzac si posa questa volta sulla piccola borghesia, le motivazioni e i meccanismi che muovono i comportamenti e le relazioni personali e sociali non sono dissimili da quelli che in altri romanzi egli pone a carico dell'aristocrazia, della grande borghesia o delle classi subalterne, dell'insieme di quella società che egli ritiene ormai irrimediabilmente corrotta dall'avidità e dalla volgarità.
Più ci si addentra nella lettura della Comédie humaine più si rimane incantati dalla grandiosità del progetto balzacchiano, che è sicuramente il più ambizioso tentativo di descrivere letterariamente una società ed un'epoca.
In questo episodio i protagonisti, come dice il titolo, sono gli impiegati, dirigenti, funzionari e lavoratori della pubblica amministrazione francese dell'epoca. E' straordinario come Balzac riesca a imbastire una storia che è in grado di rivelarci tutte le bassezze, gli opportunismi, le stupidità, i piccoli e grandi tradimenti del microcosmo impiegatizio. Quasi una metà del libro è impiegata dal nostro per introdurre l'ambiente e i tipi umani che saranno protagonisti della storia: questo rende Gli impiegati un libro insolito, per lunghi tratti quasi un saggio descrittivo di caratteri e modi di pensare.
La storia, poi, si dispiega in tutta la sua grande piccineria, e come al solito Balzac non fa sconti a nessuno: ancora una volta sarà l'interesse, l'ambizione per il potere ed il desiderio di denaro a decidere il destino dei protagonisti.
Se lo sguardo di Balzac si posa questa volta sulla piccola borghesia, le motivazioni e i meccanismi che muovono i comportamenti e le relazioni personali e sociali non sono dissimili da quelli che in altri romanzi egli pone a carico dell'aristocrazia, della grande borghesia o delle classi subalterne, dell'insieme di quella società che egli ritiene ormai irrimediabilmente corrotta dall'avidità e dalla volgarità.
February 11, 2024
Read next round 2
November 29, 2023
Una gran descripción de los empleados del estado, que podría seguir aplicándose hoy, pero me resultó un poco aburrido
October 4, 2013
Balzac knows how to describe men and humanity and his description of bureaucracy excels in perfectly exposing the pettiness, corruption and idleness of the giant, sprawling institution and the always-expanding number of its clerks. A great, pleasant work to read, if not sickening for the veracity of Balzac's analysis.
April 11, 2018
Publicado em 1836, foi publicado de forma alucinada em cerca de 30 dias e recebeu antes o título de A Mulher Superior. Faz parte de Estudos de Costumes - Cenas da Vida Parisiense.
Mesmo tendo se passado tantos anos não poderia ser mais atual, provando que as diferenças são apenas superficiais e na essência o mundo (ou o ser humano) nada mudou.
O livro é um verdadeiro tratado da vida burocrática dentro de uma repartição pública ligada a um determinado ministério e descreve de forma extremamente detalhada todo o seu funcionamento, a hierarquia dos vários cargos, os jogos de interesse, etc.
A trama gira em torno de uma disputa de um cargo importante entre o eficiente e honesto Rabourdin , autor de uma interessante reforma administrativa e Baudoyer, auxiliado pelo ardiloso Des Lupeaulx e uma trupe de funcionários com interesses vários.
Sob esse aspecto o livro é excelente, por sua temática atual e pelo retrato histórico e detalhado que o autor consegue nos apresentar de mais uma faceta da sociedade francesa da época chega a ter valor de estudo. Porém a narrativa é extremamente maçante e foi um verdadeiro desafio vencer essas páginas todas. A cada linha vão sendo apresentados inúmeros personagens novos, os funcionários e cada qual com nomes um tanto quanto semelhantes e cada cargo sendo descrito com suas particularidades, funções e atribuições, tornando a leitura muito difícil e morosa. Tudo isso culmina na disputa final onde temos um plano engendrado a fim de derrubar o probo Rabourdin e até o final não saberemos como terminará. Essa parte é interessante mas cheguei a ela exaurida dessa árdua parafernália burocrática. O que talvez a represente fielmente.
Histórico de leitura
10/04/2018
"Quarenta anos é a idade das loucuras, a idade em que o homem quer ser amado por ele mesmo."
"Des Lupeaulx lisonjeava e aconselhava o ministro, forçado a lisonjear para aconselhar, a aconselhar lisonjeando, a disfarçar a lisonja sob o conselho."
"Em Paris, onde os homens de estudo e de pensamento tem algumas analogias por viverem no mesmo meio, o leitor deve ter encontrado várias figuras semelhantes à do sr. Rabourdin, cuja história esta narrativa inicia no momento em que ele era chefe de seção num dos mais importantes ministérios."
Mesmo tendo se passado tantos anos não poderia ser mais atual, provando que as diferenças são apenas superficiais e na essência o mundo (ou o ser humano) nada mudou.
O livro é um verdadeiro tratado da vida burocrática dentro de uma repartição pública ligada a um determinado ministério e descreve de forma extremamente detalhada todo o seu funcionamento, a hierarquia dos vários cargos, os jogos de interesse, etc.
A trama gira em torno de uma disputa de um cargo importante entre o eficiente e honesto Rabourdin , autor de uma interessante reforma administrativa e Baudoyer, auxiliado pelo ardiloso Des Lupeaulx e uma trupe de funcionários com interesses vários.
Sob esse aspecto o livro é excelente, por sua temática atual e pelo retrato histórico e detalhado que o autor consegue nos apresentar de mais uma faceta da sociedade francesa da época chega a ter valor de estudo. Porém a narrativa é extremamente maçante e foi um verdadeiro desafio vencer essas páginas todas. A cada linha vão sendo apresentados inúmeros personagens novos, os funcionários e cada qual com nomes um tanto quanto semelhantes e cada cargo sendo descrito com suas particularidades, funções e atribuições, tornando a leitura muito difícil e morosa. Tudo isso culmina na disputa final onde temos um plano engendrado a fim de derrubar o probo Rabourdin e até o final não saberemos como terminará. Essa parte é interessante mas cheguei a ela exaurida dessa árdua parafernália burocrática. O que talvez a represente fielmente.
Histórico de leitura
10/04/2018
"Quarenta anos é a idade das loucuras, a idade em que o homem quer ser amado por ele mesmo."
"Des Lupeaulx lisonjeava e aconselhava o ministro, forçado a lisonjear para aconselhar, a aconselhar lisonjeando, a disfarçar a lisonja sob o conselho."
"Em Paris, onde os homens de estudo e de pensamento tem algumas analogias por viverem no mesmo meio, o leitor deve ter encontrado várias figuras semelhantes à do sr. Rabourdin, cuja história esta narrativa inicia no momento em que ele era chefe de seção num dos mais importantes ministérios."
June 26, 2021
Balzac's "The Bureaucrats" shows how the system is wasteful, over bloated and many times just barely mediocre. Those who merit advancement and have ideas to improve things are not wanted, keeping things as is, so positions are not lost is utmost. Madame Rabourdin explaining to her husband about the economy of spending money, no matter if the government has money is what is needed, sounds a lot like politics today, no accountability, only time will tell. Balzac has many characters which makes this story kind of confusing but the gist of it is brilliant and unforgettable. I included the cast of characters in my comment section. The minister is Ernest from Modeste Mignon, this story is prior to 1830 and many characters mentioned have been in other stories, which is always interesting seeing how they all are connected. The office water cooler humor is quite good.
I did not really like Madame Rabourdin but she redeemed herself at the end and her husband is indeed a man with grace and class.
The story in short - Rabourdin has spent 7 years looking to improve the ministry but his wife thinks he is incapable of advancement without her help, she is told that her husband can advance but at what cost?
I did not read this edition but from a Delphi Collection of his works which included the below.
"First published as La Femme supérieure in 1837, the title was changed to Les Employés a year later. It boasts a cast of over fifty characters, of whom Balzac provides lively descriptions. The narrative concerns the theme of advancement in a busy government office, during the Charles X 1820s period. The Minister is head of the bureaucracy, with a political appointee M de la Billardiere as the Division Head. As Billardiere is now dying, there is an opportunity for advancement from Chief Clerk to Division Head."
The state of things today..."Laws will come to be mere regulations, and ordinances will be thought laws. "
"That great administrator, — for he was that, gentlemen, — saw what the thing is coming to, the thing that these idiots call the ‘working of our admirable institutions.’ The chamber will want before long to administrate, and the administrators will want to legislate. The government will try to administrate and the administrators will want to govern, and so it will go on. Laws will come to be mere regulations, and ordinances will be thought laws. "
From The Lesser Bourgeoisie
“It seems that Dutocq continues the honorable profession of spy which he formerly practised at the ministry of finance,” said la Peyrade, “and, like others who do that dirty business, he makes his reports more witty than truthful"
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
Xavier Rabourdin orphaned at 16 became a clerk in treasury department and fell in love with Celestine Leprince, her father thinking that Rabourdin had promise approved their marriage but after a second promotion, his advancement stalled which upsets Celestine, who felt she should have a man who is successful and was quite disappointed. Rabourdin lets his wife take over in the house and he regrets it later, but it is too late. Celestine thinks her husband is not doing anything to advance himself, yet he has grand ideas she does not know about, she looks to advance him at all cost, setting up a salon. Madame Rabourdin not thinking her husband active in trying to advance she looks for her superior self to help him. Her dinners and teas are the vehicle to value her self worth. Government lackey Lupeaulux comes to her affairs and it seems like he loves her. He has many enemies that do not want him advanced, in increasing his property that would help make him a deputy. The death of de la Billardiere, Celestine thinks her husband will be in line for his job. Lupeaulx is in love with Celestine but it seems she does not truly see this but is happy that her gatherings have helped her husband. Others do not want Lupeaulx to be Deputy. Rabourdin sees Lupeaulx looking at his wife and does not like the man, his wife wants them to be friends. The young man Sebastian is the only one knowing about Rabourdin's plans and he was careless. Rabourdin likes the young lad whose mother is in poverty but has helped her son. The Baudoyer side verses the Rabourdin side are looking to have dying La Billardiere's division chief postion. The hostility and favoring of the different clerks towards the two men. Rabourdin is told about his clerk, Sebatien de La Roche has left a copy of his report at his desk not locked and Dutocq finds and copies it. It is of Rabourdin's work about changing the bureaucracy and his analysis of the workers. Rabourdin is uneasy, Billardiere on his death bed wants Rabourdin to be chief, since he did the work anyways. Rabourdin seeing Lupeaulx at his wife's engagement, though about the unflattery things said in his report, Lupeaulx looks for the advancement, could he not have read it or does he love my wife? Rabourdin tries to talk to the minister but is told to wait till next week. The clerks are betting on who will be the next chief, it seems like Rabourdin will be the one but Elizabeth Baudoyer looks for her husband to be promoted with the help of her uncle Bidault by paying of the debts of Lupeaulx and giving money to the church. Lupeaulx wants Rabourdin to win but giving up the monies for debts, Madame Rabourdin needs to be worth it, he looks to talk to her. The forces of the Baudoyers and especially the work of the money lenders that have Lupeaulx believing that he has won on the loans and the deputy ship which he will lose because of the inability to pay, so Falliex will get the properties in the end and will be son in law to the Baudoyers. Who loses the most is Celestine who thinks she has helped her husband to an appointment that will not be his and the waste of money. She thinks she can over charm but she has her limits and thinking Lupeaulx her friend which will no longer be the case. Rabourdin has told his wife what he has been doing and finally she sees the merit. Rabourdin is honest in an dishonest inept government of mediocrity. The offices are talking and Rabourdin's papers passed around with outrage. Sebastian hears about the paper and is overcome with remorse. Rabourdin is not able to see the minister and hears that Baudoyer is the head. Rabourdin tells his wife who regrets her salon efforts which brought this downfall but tells her husband he should have not trusted anyone with his papers. Rabourdin is happy to hear that his wife dishonor is only debts and not her honor, she told him she refused to advance him by being a mistress and Rabourdin is ecstatic! He has resigned and tells Celestine that he should have never entered government, for they would have been set but that they will be ahead in 10 years. When Rabourdin hands in his resignation and informs Baudoyer of his duties, the office sees what a class act he is, though they were not happy with his documents. Rabourdin returns to the ministry years later and finds out that there are all new workers and Baudoyer did not last 6 months, also the present employees are more or less useless.
I did not really like Madame Rabourdin but she redeemed herself at the end and her husband is indeed a man with grace and class.
The story in short - Rabourdin has spent 7 years looking to improve the ministry but his wife thinks he is incapable of advancement without her help, she is told that her husband can advance but at what cost?
I did not read this edition but from a Delphi Collection of his works which included the below.
"First published as La Femme supérieure in 1837, the title was changed to Les Employés a year later. It boasts a cast of over fifty characters, of whom Balzac provides lively descriptions. The narrative concerns the theme of advancement in a busy government office, during the Charles X 1820s period. The Minister is head of the bureaucracy, with a political appointee M de la Billardiere as the Division Head. As Billardiere is now dying, there is an opportunity for advancement from Chief Clerk to Division Head."
The state of things today..."Laws will come to be mere regulations, and ordinances will be thought laws. "
"That great administrator, — for he was that, gentlemen, — saw what the thing is coming to, the thing that these idiots call the ‘working of our admirable institutions.’ The chamber will want before long to administrate, and the administrators will want to legislate. The government will try to administrate and the administrators will want to govern, and so it will go on. Laws will come to be mere regulations, and ordinances will be thought laws. "
From The Lesser Bourgeoisie
“It seems that Dutocq continues the honorable profession of spy which he formerly practised at the ministry of finance,” said la Peyrade, “and, like others who do that dirty business, he makes his reports more witty than truthful"
❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌spoiler alert❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
Xavier Rabourdin orphaned at 16 became a clerk in treasury department and fell in love with Celestine Leprince, her father thinking that Rabourdin had promise approved their marriage but after a second promotion, his advancement stalled which upsets Celestine, who felt she should have a man who is successful and was quite disappointed. Rabourdin lets his wife take over in the house and he regrets it later, but it is too late. Celestine thinks her husband is not doing anything to advance himself, yet he has grand ideas she does not know about, she looks to advance him at all cost, setting up a salon. Madame Rabourdin not thinking her husband active in trying to advance she looks for her superior self to help him. Her dinners and teas are the vehicle to value her self worth. Government lackey Lupeaulux comes to her affairs and it seems like he loves her. He has many enemies that do not want him advanced, in increasing his property that would help make him a deputy. The death of de la Billardiere, Celestine thinks her husband will be in line for his job. Lupeaulx is in love with Celestine but it seems she does not truly see this but is happy that her gatherings have helped her husband. Others do not want Lupeaulx to be Deputy. Rabourdin sees Lupeaulx looking at his wife and does not like the man, his wife wants them to be friends. The young man Sebastian is the only one knowing about Rabourdin's plans and he was careless. Rabourdin likes the young lad whose mother is in poverty but has helped her son. The Baudoyer side verses the Rabourdin side are looking to have dying La Billardiere's division chief postion. The hostility and favoring of the different clerks towards the two men. Rabourdin is told about his clerk, Sebatien de La Roche has left a copy of his report at his desk not locked and Dutocq finds and copies it. It is of Rabourdin's work about changing the bureaucracy and his analysis of the workers. Rabourdin is uneasy, Billardiere on his death bed wants Rabourdin to be chief, since he did the work anyways. Rabourdin seeing Lupeaulx at his wife's engagement, though about the unflattery things said in his report, Lupeaulx looks for the advancement, could he not have read it or does he love my wife? Rabourdin tries to talk to the minister but is told to wait till next week. The clerks are betting on who will be the next chief, it seems like Rabourdin will be the one but Elizabeth Baudoyer looks for her husband to be promoted with the help of her uncle Bidault by paying of the debts of Lupeaulx and giving money to the church. Lupeaulx wants Rabourdin to win but giving up the monies for debts, Madame Rabourdin needs to be worth it, he looks to talk to her. The forces of the Baudoyers and especially the work of the money lenders that have Lupeaulx believing that he has won on the loans and the deputy ship which he will lose because of the inability to pay, so Falliex will get the properties in the end and will be son in law to the Baudoyers. Who loses the most is Celestine who thinks she has helped her husband to an appointment that will not be his and the waste of money. She thinks she can over charm but she has her limits and thinking Lupeaulx her friend which will no longer be the case. Rabourdin has told his wife what he has been doing and finally she sees the merit. Rabourdin is honest in an dishonest inept government of mediocrity. The offices are talking and Rabourdin's papers passed around with outrage. Sebastian hears about the paper and is overcome with remorse. Rabourdin is not able to see the minister and hears that Baudoyer is the head. Rabourdin tells his wife who regrets her salon efforts which brought this downfall but tells her husband he should have not trusted anyone with his papers. Rabourdin is happy to hear that his wife dishonor is only debts and not her honor, she told him she refused to advance him by being a mistress and Rabourdin is ecstatic! He has resigned and tells Celestine that he should have never entered government, for they would have been set but that they will be ahead in 10 years. When Rabourdin hands in his resignation and informs Baudoyer of his duties, the office sees what a class act he is, though they were not happy with his documents. Rabourdin returns to the ministry years later and finds out that there are all new workers and Baudoyer did not last 6 months, also the present employees are more or less useless.
January 15, 2022
Balzac nous décrit le fonctionnement de l’Administration en 1830, aussi inefficace qu’aujourd’hui…Il présente les personnages, employés de toute sorte dans les “Bureaux” dans la première moitié du roman. C’est bien long mais enfin quand tout est en place, l’intrigue s’accélère et une fois de plus, Balzac est un excellent observateur de la société de son temps. Et ce qui est encore plus fort, c’est que sa peinture des caractères est si fine que ses personnages pourraient toujours exister aujourd’hui.
April 3, 2024
Lotte intestine tra i corridoi di un ministero, dove personaggi, i cui nomi all'inizio facevo fatica a distinguere, si alternano tra piaggerie e dileggi. Fanatici di ristrutturazioni burocratiche, matrone con alte aspirazioni, fanatici degli anagrammi e spie, praticamente tra il 1823 in Francia e la situazione attuale in ufficio da me (e lo dico solo per fare un esempio considerando il grado di potere - nullo - per cui si massacrano) non c'è pressocché alcuna differenza.
June 25, 2025
C’est incroyable comme Balzac est actuel dans ces descriptions des mesquineries et bassesses de la vie des bureaux. A son époque, cela se limitait à l’administration mais de nos jours nous pourrions l’étendre à la vie des entreprises. Visiblement l’homme reste un loup pour l’homme.
May 25, 2011
Definitely not on the level of Pere Goriot or Lost Illusions, but a very entertaining tale that's likely to be overlooked even by dedicated fans.
Here are some quotes. I hope they give some examples of Balzac's style.
52: a char's biz: "discounting commercial paper"
55: "...Isidore was nothing more than a bureaucrat, incapable as bureau chief, but a man of rote molded to routine, who concealed the fact that he was a fat incompetent under a skin so thick that no scalpel could cut deep enough to expose him."
61: "The supernumerary is to the Administration what a choirboy is to the church, what the company's child is to the regiment, what the understudy is to the theater: someone naive, innocent, a being blinded by illusions. Without illusions where would anyone be?"
89: "His wife is surveyed by the intricate spy network of small towns, and if it is unhappy from within, he knows about it, whereas in Paris, state employees can be oblivious."
109: "Expert in legal matters, [Fleury] never signed a promissory note and had his own wages garnished under the names of fictitious creditors, so that he was actually able to draw nearly the whole of it himself."
152: "Dutocq disappeared." - a two-word paragraph that somehow suggests a lot about how this guy moves.
154: Balzac, faking newspaper prose, employs extraordinary syntax: "No rewards have ever been more truly deserved than those with which King Louis XVIII and His Majesty took pleasure in crowning a loyalty that never faltered under the usurper."
160: "Through the windows Elisabeth saw the faces of Gobseck and her Uncle Bidault, which stood out against the bright-yellow background of the old cafe's paneling like two cameo heads, cold and impassive in the rigid mien their engraver had impressed upon them. These two avaricious Parisians were surrounded by old faces on which 'thirty-percent discount' seemed to be written in circular wrinkles that started at the nose and came up around the glacial cheekbones. These remarkable physiognomies brightened up on seeing Mitral, and their eyes gleamed with tigerish curiosity."
168: "[Des Lupeaulx] was feeling the beat of what little heart he had when, on the staircase, he ran into his lawyer..."
194: Love Balzac commenting on the sublimity of sentences he himself invented: "Only the spirit of the usurer could have inspired a sentence so insolently imperative and cruelly irreproachable, so clear and curt, saying all and betraying nothing."
Here are some quotes. I hope they give some examples of Balzac's style.
52: a char's biz: "discounting commercial paper"
55: "...Isidore was nothing more than a bureaucrat, incapable as bureau chief, but a man of rote molded to routine, who concealed the fact that he was a fat incompetent under a skin so thick that no scalpel could cut deep enough to expose him."
61: "The supernumerary is to the Administration what a choirboy is to the church, what the company's child is to the regiment, what the understudy is to the theater: someone naive, innocent, a being blinded by illusions. Without illusions where would anyone be?"
89: "His wife is surveyed by the intricate spy network of small towns, and if it is unhappy from within, he knows about it, whereas in Paris, state employees can be oblivious."
109: "Expert in legal matters, [Fleury] never signed a promissory note and had his own wages garnished under the names of fictitious creditors, so that he was actually able to draw nearly the whole of it himself."
152: "Dutocq disappeared." - a two-word paragraph that somehow suggests a lot about how this guy moves.
154: Balzac, faking newspaper prose, employs extraordinary syntax: "No rewards have ever been more truly deserved than those with which King Louis XVIII and His Majesty took pleasure in crowning a loyalty that never faltered under the usurper."
160: "Through the windows Elisabeth saw the faces of Gobseck and her Uncle Bidault, which stood out against the bright-yellow background of the old cafe's paneling like two cameo heads, cold and impassive in the rigid mien their engraver had impressed upon them. These two avaricious Parisians were surrounded by old faces on which 'thirty-percent discount' seemed to be written in circular wrinkles that started at the nose and came up around the glacial cheekbones. These remarkable physiognomies brightened up on seeing Mitral, and their eyes gleamed with tigerish curiosity."
168: "[Des Lupeaulx] was feeling the beat of what little heart he had when, on the staircase, he ran into his lawyer..."
194: Love Balzac commenting on the sublimity of sentences he himself invented: "Only the spirit of the usurer could have inspired a sentence so insolently imperative and cruelly irreproachable, so clear and curt, saying all and betraying nothing."
February 18, 2012
A strange creation. Part study, part Platonic dialogue, part novel, it all adds up to a fascinating, but uneven, literary artifact.
The Bureaucrats is Balzac's study of the French bureaucracy under the reign of Charles X in the 1920s. It begins with about 100 pages of essentially prefatory material that serially introduces the dozens of characters that populate this novel, explaining where they came from, what role they play in the bureaucracy, and what their plans for the future contain. There are little bits of storytelling in the first part, but mostly Balzac is setting up the story--which takes up the next 150 pages of the book.
It can be hard to keep track of all of the kaleidoscope of characters, bureaucratic positions, and machinations, but the basic story comes through increasingly clearly. The division director dies and needs to be replaced. Two bureau chiefs are jockeying for the position. The Minister has to make the decision, but mostly delegates it to his fixer, the Secretary-General, who himself is mostly focused on sleeping with one of the bureau chief's wives, getting out of debt, and becoming a Deputy. A large cast of bureaucratic underlings play an important role in the adroit and impressive machinations of the two camps. Ultimately, the good bureau chief loses out and the one who it would be overly generous to describe as a mediocrity ascends one rung up the ladder to become Division Director.
All of the characters are recognizable and are presented as much as types as they are as individuals, but all of them are also unique and come to feel like individuals, albeit ones that generally do not evolve over the course of the book. In that way, it is typical Balzac, although the ratio of "types" in a study to characters in a story is higher in the case of The Bureaucrats", which has no one, for example, that approaches Lucien de Rubempré of Lost Illusions and A Harlot High and Low.
Much of the book feels strikingly modern, including the discussions of tax reform (the reformist division chief favors a broader base with lower rates),government reform (he favors consolidating departments, although interestingly dramatically reducing staffing and dramatically raising salaries--which is not a view I associate with anyone today), and bureaucratic infighting.
I would not recommend this as the place to start with Balzac or even as a particularly great work, but it has a lot of greatness in it and makes for an interesting addition to Balzac's universe.
The Bureaucrats is Balzac's study of the French bureaucracy under the reign of Charles X in the 1920s. It begins with about 100 pages of essentially prefatory material that serially introduces the dozens of characters that populate this novel, explaining where they came from, what role they play in the bureaucracy, and what their plans for the future contain. There are little bits of storytelling in the first part, but mostly Balzac is setting up the story--which takes up the next 150 pages of the book.
It can be hard to keep track of all of the kaleidoscope of characters, bureaucratic positions, and machinations, but the basic story comes through increasingly clearly. The division director dies and needs to be replaced. Two bureau chiefs are jockeying for the position. The Minister has to make the decision, but mostly delegates it to his fixer, the Secretary-General, who himself is mostly focused on sleeping with one of the bureau chief's wives, getting out of debt, and becoming a Deputy. A large cast of bureaucratic underlings play an important role in the adroit and impressive machinations of the two camps. Ultimately, the good bureau chief loses out and the one who it would be overly generous to describe as a mediocrity ascends one rung up the ladder to become Division Director.
All of the characters are recognizable and are presented as much as types as they are as individuals, but all of them are also unique and come to feel like individuals, albeit ones that generally do not evolve over the course of the book. In that way, it is typical Balzac, although the ratio of "types" in a study to characters in a story is higher in the case of The Bureaucrats", which has no one, for example, that approaches Lucien de Rubempré of Lost Illusions and A Harlot High and Low.
Much of the book feels strikingly modern, including the discussions of tax reform (the reformist division chief favors a broader base with lower rates),government reform (he favors consolidating departments, although interestingly dramatically reducing staffing and dramatically raising salaries--which is not a view I associate with anyone today), and bureaucratic infighting.
I would not recommend this as the place to start with Balzac or even as a particularly great work, but it has a lot of greatness in it and makes for an interesting addition to Balzac's universe.
December 7, 2015
Jocoso:
1. que provoca riso, particularmente através da troça
2. divertido, engraçado
3. trocista, chistoso
Balzac é assim. Diz-nos algumas coisas na cara. E, nos tempos antigos de 1830, fala-nos dos funcionários. Desde o mais baixo nível até ao chefe. Uma certeza vos dou: nada mudou. Tudo na mesma. Tanto no século XIX como no século XXI.
E, brilhantemente, escreve-se assim:
Demonstração da utilidade dos funcionários
"Porque se os funcionários apenas servem para escrevinhar e remexer em papéis não devem ser grande coisa como homens. Conclusão fácil e intuitiva.
Oh, caros inimigos da burocracia! Até quando continuareis a proferir estas frases tão frívolas como os próprios funcionários? Pensem comigo: uma porca, um prego, uma tacha, um arame, uma anilha, uma vareta; não têm para nós qualquer valor e todavia perante elas o mecânico pensa: 'sem estas bugigangas, a máquina não funcionava.
Esta parábola, que fui buscar à Indústria, parece-me estar bem adequada aos nossos tempos, e explica de forma evidente, para que servem os funcionários.
Sabemos nos dias de hoje, que a estatística é o brinquedo mais recente dos modernos homens do Estado, e julgam que os números são o cálculo e naturalmente devemos servir-nos dos números para calcular.
E que nada é mais convincente, para as massas inteligentes do que um punhado de números. Em suma, para os nossos homens de Estado tudo se resume aos números"
("Os funcionários" é uma publicação de Padrões Culturais Editora. Tropecei neste livro em 2009)
1. que provoca riso, particularmente através da troça
2. divertido, engraçado
3. trocista, chistoso
Balzac é assim. Diz-nos algumas coisas na cara. E, nos tempos antigos de 1830, fala-nos dos funcionários. Desde o mais baixo nível até ao chefe. Uma certeza vos dou: nada mudou. Tudo na mesma. Tanto no século XIX como no século XXI.
E, brilhantemente, escreve-se assim:
Demonstração da utilidade dos funcionários
"Porque se os funcionários apenas servem para escrevinhar e remexer em papéis não devem ser grande coisa como homens. Conclusão fácil e intuitiva.
Oh, caros inimigos da burocracia! Até quando continuareis a proferir estas frases tão frívolas como os próprios funcionários? Pensem comigo: uma porca, um prego, uma tacha, um arame, uma anilha, uma vareta; não têm para nós qualquer valor e todavia perante elas o mecânico pensa: 'sem estas bugigangas, a máquina não funcionava.
Esta parábola, que fui buscar à Indústria, parece-me estar bem adequada aos nossos tempos, e explica de forma evidente, para que servem os funcionários.
Sabemos nos dias de hoje, que a estatística é o brinquedo mais recente dos modernos homens do Estado, e julgam que os números são o cálculo e naturalmente devemos servir-nos dos números para calcular.
E que nada é mais convincente, para as massas inteligentes do que um punhado de números. Em suma, para os nossos homens de Estado tudo se resume aos números"
("Os funcionários" é uma publicação de Padrões Culturais Editora. Tropecei neste livro em 2009)
December 18, 2020
Far, far too much detail about the workings of the French civil service, but I suppose that was necessary to understand the rise and fall of various characters. What characters, though, the minutely detailed descriptions of each of the clerks, absolutely wonderful. I can't decide which he does best, physical features of people or interiors of their homes. I do hate Bixiou though.
Read
July 29, 2011Balzac never ceases to amaze me in his descriptive abilities. His character portraits in this work actually brought a tear to my eye - not tears of sadness mind you, but tears of unbridled joy! Hurrah!
September 5, 2014
Hmm, this is the first of Balzac's stories that I've found boring. Long swathes of text about the arcane workings of the Paris bureaucracy (some of which I skipped) and he took too long to resolve the only bit that was interesting, the fate of the luckless Rabourdin.
November 2, 2021
J’ai eu beaucoup de mal à rentrer dans le roman qui commence par une longue description de personnes et des mesquineries de l’administration sous la Restauration. Faute d’assez connaître l’histoire, j’ai eu du mal à saisir le contexte et les enjeux critiques de bien des passages. J’avais l’impression d’être comme le Poiret du roman : celui qui voit bien qu’il y a une blague ou une critique mordante mais qui n’arrive pas à la saisir.
Une fois rentrée dans l’intrigue, j’ai cependant apprécié le cynisme du regard sur la société. Entre un incompétent et un homme de mérite, l’un pistonné à coups de pots-de-vin et l’autre grâce aux avances de sa femme à des hommes influents, c’est l’incompétent qui gagne tant ces hommes presque sans cœur préfèrent l’argent aux Hommes. Dans tous les cas, c’est le portrait d’un véritable panier de crabes dans lequel le seul homme honnête et intelligent se trouve broyé, ruiné et humilié, un milieu où tout se passe par intrigues, combines malhonnêtes ou immorales et petites haines mesquines.
J’ai aussi aimé le rôle dévolu aux femmes dans ce livre. Célestine, même si elle manque l’occasion cruciale, adopte une stratégie pragmatique bien plus réaliste que l’idéalisme de son mari qui s’imagine que son mérite éclatera de lui-même. Certes, la moralité de sa méthode est douteuse mais elle sait jouer avec le feu sans se brûler et s’arrête toujours à temps, ne franchissant jamais le pas de l’infidélité réalisée. Convaincue de sa supériorité, dépensière, parfois imprudente dans sa certitude d’être la « femme supérieure » du ménage, elle n’est pas sans défauts mais, moi qui m’attendait à ce que le récit l’humilie et la « remette à sa place », j’ai été agréablement surprise de voir que c’était plus complexe et qu’elle était finalement proche du but tandis que la méthode de son mari tombe très vite à l’eau. De même, l’imbécile Baudoyer ne doit sa nomination qu’aux intrigues de coulisse d’une femme.
Une fois rentrée dans l’intrigue, j’ai cependant apprécié le cynisme du regard sur la société. Entre un incompétent et un homme de mérite, l’un pistonné à coups de pots-de-vin et l’autre grâce aux avances de sa femme à des hommes influents, c’est l’incompétent qui gagne tant ces hommes presque sans cœur préfèrent l’argent aux Hommes. Dans tous les cas, c’est le portrait d’un véritable panier de crabes dans lequel le seul homme honnête et intelligent se trouve broyé, ruiné et humilié, un milieu où tout se passe par intrigues, combines malhonnêtes ou immorales et petites haines mesquines.
J’ai aussi aimé le rôle dévolu aux femmes dans ce livre. Célestine, même si elle manque l’occasion cruciale, adopte une stratégie pragmatique bien plus réaliste que l’idéalisme de son mari qui s’imagine que son mérite éclatera de lui-même. Certes, la moralité de sa méthode est douteuse mais elle sait jouer avec le feu sans se brûler et s’arrête toujours à temps, ne franchissant jamais le pas de l’infidélité réalisée. Convaincue de sa supériorité, dépensière, parfois imprudente dans sa certitude d’être la « femme supérieure » du ménage, elle n’est pas sans défauts mais, moi qui m’attendait à ce que le récit l’humilie et la « remette à sa place », j’ai été agréablement surprise de voir que c’était plus complexe et qu’elle était finalement proche du but tandis que la méthode de son mari tombe très vite à l’eau. De même, l’imbécile Baudoyer ne doit sa nomination qu’aux intrigues de coulisse d’une femme.
September 6, 2025
Although my French is excellent, I found this book extremely difficult, and I had to look up a lot of words, something that seldom happens to me. It shows Balzac's genius in his ability to depict the inner workings of the French bureaucracy. How could he have known so much? That's something I ask about almost every one of his novels.
The plot is essentially simple: a worthy administrator vies for a higher post against an incapable man with political connections, while all around them a huge cast of lowly clerks intrigue and converse, some of them extremely wittily. The superior woman of the title is the worthy administrator's wife. There are a couple of sly and slippery villains, who make a lot of trouble. I purposely avoid divulging who wins out.
The book goes on and on, essentially being an unforgiving analysis of the weakness of governmental administration in the 1820s, before the 1830 revolution. It reflects the conviction, still held by many conservative people today, that most bureaucrats draw pay for doing nothing and stand in the way of progress.
Many of the events and characters in the book were well known to Balzac's contemporaries but are familiar only to experts in French history today. I should have read an annotated edition of the book, explaining all of Balzac's references, the idiomatic expressions that are now nearly 200 years old, and so on.
The plot is essentially simple: a worthy administrator vies for a higher post against an incapable man with political connections, while all around them a huge cast of lowly clerks intrigue and converse, some of them extremely wittily. The superior woman of the title is the worthy administrator's wife. There are a couple of sly and slippery villains, who make a lot of trouble. I purposely avoid divulging who wins out.
The book goes on and on, essentially being an unforgiving analysis of the weakness of governmental administration in the 1820s, before the 1830 revolution. It reflects the conviction, still held by many conservative people today, that most bureaucrats draw pay for doing nothing and stand in the way of progress.
Many of the events and characters in the book were well known to Balzac's contemporaries but are familiar only to experts in French history today. I should have read an annotated edition of the book, explaining all of Balzac's references, the idiomatic expressions that are now nearly 200 years old, and so on.
May 31, 2020
ᗷᗩᒪᘔᗩᑕ-ᒪƐᔕ ƐᗰᑭᒪOƳéᔕ Oᑌ ᒪᗩ FƐᗰᗰƐ ᔕᑌᑭƐᖇƖƐᑌᖇƐ
"𝕻𝖔𝖚𝖗 ê𝖙𝖗𝖊 𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖑𝖖𝖚𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖊,𝖎𝖑 𝖋𝖆𝖚𝖙 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖗 𝖕𝖆𝖗 ê𝖙𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖔𝖚𝖙."
🇷🇸
🥣𝓤𝓴𝓾𝓼-č𝓪𝓳 𝓲 𝓴𝓸𝓵𝓪č𝓲ć𝓲
💐𝓜𝓲𝓻𝓲𝓼-𝓞𝓹𝓸𝓳𝓷𝓲 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓶
🎧𝓩𝓿𝓾𝓴-Ž𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓻 𝓻𝓪𝔃𝓰𝓸𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓪
🎨��𝓸𝓳𝓪-𝓑𝓵𝓮𝓭𝓪,𝓲𝓼𝓹𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓪
🐙𝓓𝓸𝓭𝓲𝓻-𝓤č𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽
🎭𝓘𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓲𝓴𝓪𝓬𝓲𝓳𝓪(𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓸𝓿𝓲)-𝓑𝓲𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓲 𝓷𝓳𝓲𝓱𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓳𝓮 👻🧙♂️🤓𝓥𝓲𝔃𝓲𝓳𝓪(𝓢𝓪𝓷)-𝓓𝓻ž𝓪𝓿𝓷𝓪 𝓶𝓪š𝓲𝓷𝓪 𝓶𝓮𝓵𝓳𝓮 𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓪𝓷𝓪𝓼 𝓴𝓪𝓸 𝓲 𝓾 𝓑𝓪𝓵𝔃𝓪𝓴𝓸𝓿𝓸 𝓿𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓮
📝𝓔𝓴𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓪-𝓓𝓮𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓷𝓸 𝓷𝓲𝓳𝓮 𝓭𝓸 𝓽𝓮𝓶𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓰𝓸 𝓭𝓸 𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓪,𝓑𝓪𝓵𝔃𝓪𝓴 𝓳𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓳𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻 𝓭𝓪 𝓸𝓬𝓻𝓽𝓪 𝓾𝓹𝓮č𝓪𝓽𝓵𝓳𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓾 𝓷𝓪𝓳𝓭𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓭𝓷𝓲𝓳𝓮𝓶 𝓸𝓴𝓻𝓾𝔃𝓮𝓷𝓳𝓾.
✒𝓸𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓪9️⃣
🇺🇸
🥣𝑻𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆-𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒂
🎧𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅-𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈
💐𝑺𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒎𝒆
🎨𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓-𝑷𝒂𝒍𝒆,𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅-𝒐𝒖𝒕
🐙𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉-𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔
🎭𝑰𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏(𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔)-𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 🤓🧙♂️👻𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏(𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎)-𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒛𝒂𝒄'𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆
📝𝑬𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂-𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒐��� 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒛𝒂𝒄 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒚.
✒𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆9️⃣
"𝕻𝖔𝖚𝖗 ê𝖙𝖗𝖊 𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖑𝖖𝖚𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖊,𝖎𝖑 𝖋𝖆𝖚𝖙 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖗 𝖕𝖆𝖗 ê𝖙𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖔𝖚𝖙."
🇷🇸
🥣𝓤𝓴𝓾𝓼-č𝓪𝓳 𝓲 𝓴𝓸𝓵𝓪č𝓲ć𝓲
💐𝓜𝓲𝓻𝓲𝓼-𝓞𝓹𝓸𝓳𝓷𝓲 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓶
🎧𝓩𝓿𝓾𝓴-Ž𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓻 𝓻𝓪𝔃𝓰𝓸𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓪
🎨��𝓸𝓳𝓪-𝓑𝓵𝓮𝓭𝓪,𝓲𝓼𝓹𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓪
🐙𝓓𝓸𝓭𝓲𝓻-𝓤č𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽
🎭𝓘𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓲𝓴𝓪𝓬𝓲𝓳𝓪(𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓸𝓿𝓲)-𝓑𝓲𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓲 𝓷𝓳𝓲𝓱𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓳𝓮 👻🧙♂️🤓𝓥𝓲𝔃𝓲𝓳𝓪(𝓢𝓪𝓷)-𝓓𝓻ž𝓪𝓿𝓷𝓪 𝓶𝓪š𝓲𝓷𝓪 𝓶𝓮𝓵𝓳𝓮 𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓪𝓷𝓪𝓼 𝓴𝓪𝓸 𝓲 𝓾 𝓑𝓪𝓵𝔃𝓪𝓴𝓸𝓿𝓸 𝓿𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓮
📝𝓔𝓴𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓪-𝓓𝓮𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓷𝓸 𝓷𝓲𝓳𝓮 𝓭𝓸 𝓽𝓮𝓶𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓰𝓸 𝓭𝓸 𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓪,𝓑𝓪𝓵𝔃𝓪𝓴 𝓳𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓳𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻 𝓭𝓪 𝓸𝓬𝓻𝓽𝓪 𝓾𝓹𝓮č𝓪𝓽𝓵𝓳𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓾 𝓷𝓪𝓳𝓭𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓭𝓷𝓲𝓳𝓮𝓶 𝓸𝓴𝓻𝓾𝔃𝓮𝓷𝓳𝓾.
✒𝓸𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓪9️⃣
🇺🇸
🥣𝑻𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆-𝑪𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒂
🎧𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅-𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈
💐𝑺𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒎𝒆
🎨𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓-𝑷𝒂𝒍𝒆,𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅-𝒐𝒖𝒕
🐙𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉-𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔
🎭𝑰𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏(𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔)-𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 🤓🧙♂️👻𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏(𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎)-𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒛𝒂𝒄'𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆
📝𝑬𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂-𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒐��� 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒛𝒂𝒄 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒚.
✒𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆9️⃣
January 9, 2018
Balzac. Such a good man.
Good taste in women also.
Quotes:
- (...) both among employees and artists there are far more miscarriages than offsprings, which leads us back to Buffon's sentence: "Genius is patience".
- (...) he thought himself a handsome boy and had all the faults of high society without having the merits.
- In front of these weird subjects it is difficult to judge whether the job has made them idiots or they do this job because they were born idiots. Perhaps responsibility must be divided equally between nature and government.
- (...) should set a prize for those who solve this puzzle: what is the best organized state? The one that makes a lot of things with a few employees or that which makes a few with many employees?
Good taste in women also.
Quotes:
- (...) both among employees and artists there are far more miscarriages than offsprings, which leads us back to Buffon's sentence: "Genius is patience".
- (...) he thought himself a handsome boy and had all the faults of high society without having the merits.
- In front of these weird subjects it is difficult to judge whether the job has made them idiots or they do this job because they were born idiots. Perhaps responsibility must be divided equally between nature and government.
- (...) should set a prize for those who solve this puzzle: what is the best organized state? The one that makes a lot of things with a few employees or that which makes a few with many employees?
February 26, 2024
Para os amantes de Balzac, vale muito a pena ler. Para os leitores casuais, talvez não seja a leitura mais fluida e divertida. De qualquer forma, a descrição dos funcionários públicos e da intriga em si é fantástica. Pena que Balzac perdeu tanto tempo com detalhes e descrições enfadonhas no início em vez de entrar logo na história, que é ótima.
June 10, 2024
Certainly, this is not Balzac's best novel (from his Human Comedy). However, it does masterfully represent ambition, betrayal and venality within government and the public service. As usual, this novel is as relevant today as when it was written nearly two centuries ago. It is yet another example of why Balzac should be more widely read today. It is a mystery to me why he isn't...
June 23, 2019
Fairly labored, but some good characterizations.
February 8, 2025
Divertente e leggero ma se analizzato meglio è uno spaccato di vita, un’analisi di come vive L’impiegato.
February 2, 2009
All in all, this was a tough book. I am not in general a huge fan of French literature and I did not have the background to fully appreciate his plays on words and French culture. That being said I found this book had some cutting insight about bureaucracy and the culture of anti-innovation it breeds, as well as a concise understanding of political thought that still dominates US policy discussions. That being said, a lot of the writing was slow, meandering, and plain boring--perhaps reflective of the subject matter. In any event as a stand alone, the book gets a low rating though I feel it was a poor choice to start in the human comedy and I hope to give one of the better known pieces of the collection a try.
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