Project Gutenberg 2004-08-30 Public domain in the USA. 300 Balzac, Honoré de 1799 1850 Balzac, Honore de Saint-Aubin, Horace de De Balzac, Honoré Balzac, H. de (Honoré de) Bell, Clara 1834 1927 Waring, James The Elixir of Life Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Elixir_de_longue_vie Produced by Dagny, and David Widger "The Elixir of Life" by Honoré de Balzac is a philosophical short story written in the early 19th century. The narrative intertwines themes of life, death, and the moral dilemmas associated with immortality. Set against the backdrop of Ferrara, Italy, in the 16th century, the book explores the consequences of seeking eternal life and the ethical ramifications of one’s actions in relation to family and society. The story centers on Don Juan Belvidero, a reckless nobleman throwing a lavish banquet amid the impending death of his father, Bartolommeo. After receiving the grave news, Don Juan grapples with his feelings of guilt and remorse for his past neglect of Bartolommeo while simultaneously encountering a fantastical elixir that promises to restore life. In a moment of desperation, he conducts an experiment with the elixir on his father’s corpse, leading to unintended supernatural consequences. The tale evolves into a commentary on the nature of life, the inevitability of death, and how the pursuit of selfish desires can lead to tragic outcomes, ultimately culminating in a macabre and ironic twist during the supposed resurrection of Don Juan. The story serves as a reflection on the cycle of life and the folly of attempting to escape it. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 74.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en French fiction -- Translations into English PQ Text Category: Short Stories Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: French Literature Category: Philosophy & Ethics 87016 2025-08-01T08:55:32.973348 text/html 81973 2013-04-04T11:47:32 text/html; charset=us-ascii 94309 2025-08-01T08:55:36.973338 application/epub+zip 92966 2025-08-01T08:55:34.590334 application/epub+zip 92966 2025-08-01T08:55:33.542339 application/epub+zip 188752 2025-08-01T08:55:38.705327 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 180583 2025-08-01T08:55:36.361330 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 156771 2022-09-01T09:57:52.780544 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 73567 2023-10-01T08:10:32.482591 text/plain 17475 2025-08-01T08:55:38.860329 application/rdf+xml 12153 2025-08-01T08:55:34.037333 image/jpeg 3350 2025-08-01T08:55:33.786349 image/jpeg 91369 2025-08-01T08:55:32.982340 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia More titles under Marriage, Ellen en.wikipedia