Eugénie Grandet
Honoré de Balzac
Read by Bruce Pirie
Eugénie Grandet, first published in 1833, is one of Honoré de Balzac's finest novels, and one of the first works in what would become his large novel series titled La Comédie Humaine. Set in a provincial town in post-Revolutionary France, the story deals with money, avarice, love, and obsession. A wealthy old miser must manage the passion of his innocent daughter, who later has to navigate on her own the treacherous ways of a world in which money is "the only god." Balzac's meticulous use of psychological and physical detail influenced the development of 19th-century literary realism, in the hands of writers such as Dickens, Dostoyevsky, Flaubert, and Henry James. - Summary by Bruce Pirie (7 hr 17 min)
Chapters
| Part 1 | 33:24 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 2 | 38:13 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 3 | 38:43 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 4 | 43:00 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 5 | 26:58 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 6 | 29:14 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 7 | 28:07 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 8 | 34:51 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 9 | 34:17 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 10 | 28:52 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 11 | 28:09 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 12 | 26:38 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 13 | 21:58 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
| Part 14 | 24:49 | Read by Bruce Pirie |
Reviews
masterful
adam
This is a truly masterful work of art. It's beautifully read and poetic. Balzac is like a painter. The scenes are poignant and evocative. One of the best dealings with avarice I've come across.
Absolutely perfect reading
Praxia
Perfectly delivered reading of Eugenie Grandet. I mean PERFECT. Thank you, Bruce Pirie. I won't go into details, as every detail is, well, perfectly done. :)
Excellent but terribly depressing
Linda in PNW
Bruce Pirie is no doubt the perfect reader for this book. I found it to be almost hard to listen to because so many of the characters were self absorbed, mean and almost evil. The three women of the household were the exception. They were so pure of heart and forgiving that it was hard to understand how they could maintain their gentleness.
Great Read!
A LibriVox Listener
Thank you so much for sharing this book. My wife & I really enjoyed it. Balzac creates profound characters, makes insightful comments on human nature, & this translation has a certain poetry about it. The reader is excellent & his French pronounciation enhances the telling.
a period piece!
Michele Fry
Interesting look at pre industrial revolution village life. So glad men are no longer exclusive “head of household”. They so often abused their power, and women suffered so much from it. Bruce Pi TV rie did an excellent job reading this .
Balzac would be "Honoré-d"
zackaroo
Bruce Pirie (narrator) has done Honoré de Balzac, and all lovers of great literature, a laudable service in his beautiful reading of Eugénie Grandet.
Beautifully Told and Read
jbrown
Sad but lovely story of love and the ability of the truly innocent to love unconditionally. Narration is exceptional!
Highly Recommend
Compulsive Reader
Another good book by Honore de Balzac. Excellently read by Bruce Pirie, thank you, JK