Contents:

None of the titles -- nor actually the French original which yet another of the English translations also kept as the title -- can quite capture the sprawling story; indeed, in their efforts at a sort of pinpointing they miss, or at least mislead about the much bigger story. So, for example, 'the Fisherwoman' of that original title so the translation of 'rabouilleuse' here only appears well into the book, properly introduced only in the second of the novel's three parts, while the brother who is best described as the black sheep disappears from view for an extended part of the novel.

The story of The Black Sheep begins with Dr. Rouget, in the city of Issoudun.

He has a son, Jean-Jacques, and then a daughter, Agathe. Convinced Agathe isn't his off-spring, he has her raised by others, and has practically nothing to with her. He dotes only on Jean-Jacques -- but keeps the boy and then the man very much under his thumb. Much later, the old doctor takes in the waifish, beautiful young girl, Flore Brazier -- whose 'Fisherwoman' nickname remains her popular designation.

Jean-Jacques, enjoying all the attention and then the wealth of his father, never makes much of himself, and lives a life of simple luxury and comfort after he inherits -- but the bachelor also loves still young Flore, and keeps her in the household after his father's death. Over the years until then, Agathe has a much harder time of it in Paris.

Losing her husband, she struggles to raise her two boys on her limited funds. There's Joseph, the would-be painter and artist, and there's Philippe, the apple of her eye -- and the bad seed. Made for the military life he enjoys brief success, as his father had, under Napoleon, but with the change of regime refuses to serve under the Bourbons. He is, and remains: Among Philippe's adventures is even a costly expedition to Texas -- the failed Champ d'Asile -- but he's back soon enough.

Typically for this wide-ranging novel, Balzac treats the expedition as barely more than a brief tangent, hardly having anything to say about it even as it surely offers material for novels of equal length. Philippe loses money, steals money -- even from his family -- and gambles away money, without the least qualms.

The effect on Agathe and her longtime companion Madame Descoings is devastating, and it's only when his mother is pretty much truly down and out that Philippe is more or less out of their lives. And at least Joseph earns a bit of money as he hones his craft, and is -- perhaps a bit over-optimistically -- certain of a brighter future. The first part of the novel focuses on widowed Agathe's life and her concerns about her sons, but the focus shifts when she is alerted to the fact that a little hussy seems to be winning over her brother and looks set to cheat her out of an inheritance which would be her due.

So the scene shifts from Paris to Issoudun, as Agathe returns there with Joseph to see what exactly is going on, and what they can do. Jean-Jacques is indeed completely under the spell of the bewitching Fisherwoman Flore -- but she has meanwhile also managed to install the love of her life, another no-good rascal named Maxence Gilet, in the household.

Max leads a local group who call themselves the Knights of Idleness, and Balzac has good fun describing the nasty tricks they play on the locals. Together, Flore and Max see wonderful opportunities for fleecing Jean-Jacques out of much or all of his sizeable fortune. He is determined to get hold of Jean-Jacques' money and plans to use Flore to get it. He is thought to be the 'natural' son of old Rouget so people are well-disposed towards him, little realising that he leads the gang that torments the community. Agathe and Joseph, despite the support of the Hochons next door, are no match for these two, and eventually they go back to Paris with nothing to show for their pains.

Philippe, meanwhile, has been convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to exile in a place called Auten, but thanks to the intervention of Desroche, a retired but still influential bureaucrat who's remained a friend of the family, the place of exile is switched to Issoudun.

Yes, it's a case of 'set a thief to catch a thief' and the chicanery that takes place while Philippe tries to oust Flore and Max is complex but vastly entertaining.

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I bet this story's been made into a film! Does he get his revenge? You'll have to read the book to find out! The two brothers are Philippe and Joseph Bridau. Five years prior, Philippe, a dashing young officer, was Napoleon's aide-de-camp but he is now on half pay. Joseph is a poor aspiring artist. Their mother Agathe Bridau, a widow, has combined her resources with those of her aunt, Madame Descoings and set up a household in Paris. The story takes place in Paris and in Issoudun, one hundred miles south of Paris where Agathe's well-to-do brother, Jean-Jacques Rouget, lives.

Some years ago, M. Rouget t The two brothers are Philippe and Joseph Bridau. Rouget took a young peasant girl into his household. She is now grown and rules not only the household but the old gentleman who loves her passionately. She has fallen in love with Max, a thorough rake who calls himself the "Grand Master of the Order of Idleness. Nov 27, J. Clayton Rogers rated it it was amazing. No, I haven't read through the entire Human Comedy, but having gone through around 10 volumes qualifies me I think to declare this one of the better books in the series.

In fact, it was terrific. Is there an overabundance of melodrama? But the same is true of many of my favorite authors I almost choked to death on Dickens' Little Nell--perhaps the most prolonged death scene in all literature. You have to swallow the bad with the good--or the good with the great. Balzac wrote some se No, I haven't read through the entire Human Comedy, but having gone through around 10 volumes qualifies me I think to declare this one of the better books in the series. Balzac wrote some sensationally bad stuff, but overall I think he's probably the greatest--James Joyce's opinion notwithstanding.

Apr 19, Alison rated it it was amazing. Really Fantastic Story - my favorite so far, but not far ahead of Lost Illusions. Translated by Donald Adamson - didn't care for his translation - slang translated to some kind of early 18th century cockney-esque accent and sentences were choppy and sometimes didn't make sense. Exceptional story and a quick read. Jan 04, Tyler Jones rated it really liked it Shelves: My experience with 19th Century literature is still very spotty, and this is the only Balzac novel I have read so far , so take my comments with a grain of salt.

I have read books from this era that showed a greater understanding of human nature I'm thinking Eliot and Zola but not many that were as as much fun to read. There is a wonderful cast of characters here, many of them charismatically rotten, and a plot that moves quite briskly and ends with a duel with sabres. I was not My experience with 19th Century literature is still very spotty, and this is the only Balzac novel I have read so far , so take my comments with a grain of salt. I was not expecting such a well plotted yarn, and was pleasantly surprised.

Why do I still expect the classics to be boring? Why am I always surprised when they kick ass? Oct 27, Angelo Giardini added it Shelves: Aug 01, Capsguy rated it really liked it Shelves: Judging by Balzac's novels, the main occupation of the French bourgeoisie of the early nineteenth century was cheating their relatives out of inheritances; this is another novel which is largely concerned with "succession". Bearing in mind that the word "bourgeoisie" in Balzac does not have its modern post-Marx meaning of "the capitalist class" but rather is an ill-defined term for anyone who is neither noble nor poor, lives in a city or town rather than on a farm, and has a certain amount of p Judging by Balzac's novels, the main occupation of the French bourgeoisie of the early nineteenth century was cheating their relatives out of inheritances; this is another novel which is largely concerned with "succession".

Bearing in mind that the word "bourgeoisie" in Balzac does not have its modern post-Marx meaning of "the capitalist class" but rather is an ill-defined term for anyone who is neither noble nor poor, lives in a city or town rather than on a farm, and has a certain amount of property and "respectability" -- more or less equivalent to the even more meaningless American phrase "middle class".

Although written in , La Rabouilleuse really resembles Balzac's earliest works in being in my opinion somewhat poorly constructed, beginning with fifty or more pages of rather unexciting background and description of the provincial city of Issoudun; the novel then really opens in Paris with the story of the two brothers, Joseph and Philippe Bridau one of the English titles for the book is The Two Brothers. About two thirds of the way through, the story abandons the story of the two brothers for the story of the "Rabouilleuse" "stirrer-up" Flore Brazier, and the Rouget family the father and brother of Agathe, the mother of the two brothers.

After another fifty pages, Joseph and his mother arrive in Issoudun followed later by Philippe and the real plot begins, which is about the struggle between the "Rabouilleuse" and her lover, Maxence Gilet, and the Bridaus for the grandfather's inheritance which is controlled by Agathe's brother Jean Jacques Roget. The ending then shifts back to Paris and focuses again on the Bridau brothers. Apr 18, Marc Gerstein rated it it was amazing Shelves: I had long considered Balzac my favorite author but somehow or other, wound up having gone a long time without reading anything by him.

I guess I got distracted by other works. On reading the lesser-known less-discussed work, I see I've been away from Honore for much too long. This reminded me why I admire his work as much as I do. It's part of his humongous human comedy series and as with some others, this one touches both sides of the Paris-versus-Provinces divide that so fascinated Balzac.

Fan I had long considered Balzac my favorite author but somehow or other, wound up having gone a long time without reading anything by him.

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Fans will recognize many supporting characters who play varying roles in other works. He recycles characters quite a bit, but if you're new to Balzac, don't worry about it. Unlike many who write multi-novel series, with Balzac, each one can and does stand on its own. The protagonists here are brothers Phillipe and Joseph Bridau, a soldier and artist respectively, and their mother Agathe. Naturally, and predictably, there's a struggle for the money. But how it plays out is wildly unpredictable and an example of how watching people go through their lives can be the greatest of all spectator sports.

Hence the name for the series; the Human Comedy. I'm not sure why this gem isn't as well known as others in the series. Maybe it has something to do with variations in the title. Some call it "The Black Sheep. Jun 08, Justin Evans rated it really liked it Shelves: It's Balzac, and it's reasonably short, so you know it's pretty powerful.

The only interesting thing I have to say about this is stolen from the introduction to the Penguin edition; the translator points out that in this book, unlike many of Balzac's writing, the historical asides are actually relevant and important for the plot, so it's far more unified than the others. Also, Balzac got the whole 'show you someone who's horrible, then show you someone even worse so that you'll symp It's Balzac, and it's reasonably short, so you know it's pretty powerful.

Also, Balzac got the whole 'show you someone who's horrible, then show you someone even worse so that you'll sympathize with the horrible shit' move down pat. George Martin's an amateur by comparison. On the other hand, not sure it's one of the greatest novels of all time, as some poll or other suggested. Plus vers les 3,75 disons. View all 7 comments. Feb 04, Ali rated it it was ok Shelves: Sep 16, John rated it it was amazing. An enjoyable book to read. The story of a family with one side reduced to poverty In Paris. The story revolves around two brothers.

Phillipe a soldier and black sheep of the family and Joseph the other brother an artist. There mother Agathe who is not the sharpest card in the deck with misplaced loyalties. The stories plot is around getting an inheritance from Agathe's brother and preventing another black sheep also a soldier called Max getting it. He is the lover of her brothers housekeeper who An enjoyable book to read.

He is the lover of her brothers housekeeper who is trying to steal the inheritance.

The chapters are easy to read with the humorous exploits of both black sheep and also the duel of wits between the two villains. Another mordant dissection by Balzac of greed and character - and a mother's blindness.

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The plot is slightly clunky divided as it is between Paris and the provinces. The examination of rural France is penetrating. Philippe is a monster and his development into such in the second half is somewhat inexplicable given his failures in the first. Also his comeuppance at the end seems a bit too neat after his resurrection in which he gains everything - while still continuing to kick his moth Excellent. Also his comeuppance at the end seems a bit too neat after his resurrection in which he gains everything - while still continuing to kick his mother and brother in the teeth.

May 19, Amy Muzaffar rated it did not like it. Can't believe I finished this. Every character was one sided and simple. The female characters all died when they became morally offended by a man, fainted, then lay in bed for weeks until the distress killed them. I should give the author a break since he wrote this a long time ago, but I wish I could get my reading time from last month back! Mar 18, Greg rated it it was amazing Shelves: The Black Sheep is a truly wonderful novel, and deserves much more fame than it currently receives.

Its merits are many. First, it contains wonderful historical material for life in the time immediately after the fall of Napoleon. Better, perhaps, than in any other novel in The Human Comedy, it is intimately interwove into the fabric of the tale. Joseph, of course, remains the same: The vicissitudes of the story the thefts he suffers, his failure to assist Madame Descoings over the lottery ticket, the murder charge, his temporary imprisonment ruffle but do not embitter him. The nature of how these two natures are perceived reflects on humanity itself. To begin with, no matter what one tried to do about it, his thick black hair was always unkempt, whereas his brother was always neat and good-looking, despite his high spirits.

Besides this, Joseph could not keep any article of clothing clean no one could tell what fatality it was which caused this, but too constant a fatality becomes a habit ; if he was given new clothes, he soon had them looking as old as his previous ones. The elder boy looked after his things out of vanity.

By slow degrees, the mother grew used to scolding Joseph and holding up his brother to him as an example. It is first set out in detail in Old Goriot, a novel written seven years earlier than The Black Sheep. In order to succeed in the world, a man must be ruthless in exploiting others. There are some problems. First, some of the language is quite stilted. Let us leave the solution of this problem to the twentieth century, with a fine array of names to describe microscopic animalcules; then, perhaps, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will write as much nonsense on this mysterious subject as has already been written by our learned societies.

A widow has two tasks, with mutually contradictory obligations: Few women are strong enough to understand and play this dual role. And so, despite her qualities of character, poor Agathe was the innocent cause of many misfortunes. In other words, the same dubious population which is to be found in such areas in almost every town, and which is dominated by one or two Jews.

Balzac does, however, deliver the major point. Philippe drives loved ones to pauperism and death. In the last half of the novel, Balzac explores whether such evil skills might be put to good use. I kept one once who cost me much more than Flore will ever cost you! She taught me how to treat the fair sex properly — and the lesson will stick for the rest of my life.

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Women are like naughty children. They are inferior animals to men, and you must make them afraid of you, for the worst plight that can befall us is to be governed by the brutes! Where love is concerned, self-interested deception is superior to the truth itself, which is why so many men pay so high a price to clever deceivers. Like the moth whose feet are caught in the molten wax of a candle, Rouget rapidly used up his remaining energy. God is only harsh on this earth towards his chosen people. Woe betide those whose misdeeds meet with a favourable reception in this world, they will be formed again within humanity until eventually their simple errors are harshly punished, and not until then will they reap the celestial harvest.

Your life, my daughter, has been one long act of wrongdoing. You now fall into the pit you have dug for yourself; the only side of our characters in which we ever fail is the one we have weakened within ourselves. You have given your heart to a monster in whom you saw your own fame and glory, and failed to appreciate the son in whom your true glory shines forth!

The Black Sheep

You have been so deeply unjust that you have overlooked the striking contrast between them: The poor son who loves you without the reward of an equal love returned provides you with your daily bread, whereas the rich man who has never given you a single thought, and who despises you, hopes for your death. Philippe becomes incredibly wealthy, but ultimately is undone by his earlier comrades in evil. See my other reviews here!

Jun 05, Alimpic Srdjan rated it it was amazing Shelves: Mar 01, Nermine Tadross rated it liked it. The Black Sheep by Honore de Balzac is about the story of two brothers and how they try to get back an inheritance that would save them from poverty. The events take place in the time after the Bourbon Restoration. Balzac is certainly a storyteller master and the book is a page turner. What bothered me about it is that some characters especially those of the two protagonists are either black or white; totally bad or totally good.

The book will be more enjoyable if you can read something about the historical background of the era. Jul 18, Jamie rated it did not like it Shelves: I have a rule, if I make it to 50 pages I finish a book. Make that had a rule. This book is terrible. Flat characters, see through plot line, a complete and utter lack of basic storytelling.

It is what I would expect a disappointed and indicative 11 year old to write. I read that this was based off the author's own life and I can only imagine how whiny and self-pitying he must have been in person. How this is a classic, I cannot say. Aug 12, John Ward rated it it was amazing.