Considered a founder of the realistic school of fiction, prolific French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) wrote in meticulous detail, depicting ordinary and undistinguished lives in tales that nevertheless abounded in melodramatic plots and violent passions. nThis convenient dual-language volume includes six of Balzacs most highly regarded short stories: An Episode During the Terror, a deftly told tale contrasting material poverty with spiritual riches; A Passion in the Desert, inspired by Balzacs interest in the Near East and his fascination with Napoleon; The Revolutionary Conscript, a critique of provincial life; The Forsaken Woman, an intriguing study of female psychology and a how-to seduction manual; The Unknown Masterpiece, which focuses on the conflict between an artists commitment to his work and his relationship with the woman who loves him; and Facino Cane, a tale of a destitute blind mans dreams of restoring his former wealth and power. nStanley Appelbaum has provided excellent, line-for-line English translations of the text, as well as an informative introduction and notes related to each story. This superb selection of tales by one of the worlds great writers of fiction is sure to delight students and devotees of French language and literature. n