In the Maison Vauquer an old pasta-maker is starving himself to keep his two married daughters in gowns, and a law student from the provinces is deciding how much of himself to sell. Around them moves Vautrin, the escaped convict with a proposal. The keystone of the whole Comédie Humaine.
Balzac’s greatest novel, and the gateway to the Comédie Humaine. Download the free EPUB.