Father Goriot

By: Honoré de Balzac

Narrated by: Bill Homewood

Impoverished young aristocrat Eugene de Rastignac is determined to climb the social ladder and impress himself on Parisian high society. While staying at the Maison Vauquer, a boarding house in Paris's rue Neuve-Sainte-Genevieve, he encounters Jean-Joachim Goriot, a retired vermicelli maker who has spent his entire fortune supporting his two daughters. The boarders strike up a friendship and Goriot learns of Rastignac's feelings for his daughter Delphine. He begins to see Rastignac as the ideal son-in-law, and the perfect substitute for Delphine's domineering husband. But Rastignac has other opportunities too, as the notorious criminal Vautrin, "The Death Dodger", offers to murder the brother of a wealthy woman, giving the ambitious young lawyer a clear path to her fortune. Profound and realistic, Father Goriot is a startling glimpse into the vanity and selfishness of 19th-century Paris. It is considered one of the finest works of Balzac's La Comedie Humaine.

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We’ll worth revisiting this classic

The story is a satire of 19C France. I found it gripping and heart breaking at the same time. The narration was splendid.

Materialism and Greed.

Balzac exposes the lack of humanistic and Democratic values in early 19th century Paris, France.
Only a minority believed in community, family and democracy.

My first Balzac

Wonderful and old fashion. But such joy! I will read more. The reader was excellent and if you spend any time with it you will be well rewarded!

the performance was superb

I am bored in re the wealthy bored socialites and ladder climbers of ancient and modern times. Balzac did an excellent job, but the subject of the wealthy who have nothing to do other than show their wealth and express their money powers or one upmanship in fashiin, etc is tiresome.

Astounding performance

Bill's performance renders the work so accessible and touching. The book can have rather longer commentaries esp at the beginning, but story also amazing as it gathers pace

lots to think about

I listened to this book as it is mentioned by Thomas Piketty in his book 'capital in the 21 century.' He may take much data from it I mostly read this as an ethical story. This is not a subtle story but it is a dark counterpart for war and peace and even a foreboding for Proust' recherche.

What a sad story

I liked the story overall, even though I may not have listened as closely to all parts.