Joel Shelton’s Reviews > Lost Illusions > Status Update
Joel Shelton
is on page 135 of 752
So far, this is my surprise read of the year. Proust convinced me to read him, as I still journey further into In Search of Lost Time, and I have to say that he wasn’t wrong: Balzac is one of the masters of 19th century literature. His descriptions of class within post-Napoleonic France are almost Dickensian in their approach—the reader just gets captured by the lengthy impressionistic prose.
— Dec 09, 2025 11:00AM
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Joel Shelton
is on page 222 of 752
I probably shouldn’t be taking writing tips from a 19th century author but Balzac’s prose is simply some of the best I’ve ever read.
— Dec 11, 2025 06:23PM
