Project Gutenberg 2005-04-03 Public domain in the USA. 154 Balzac, Honoré de 1799 1850 Balzac, Honore de Saint-Aubin, Horace de De Balzac, Honoré Balzac, H. de (Honoré de) Marriage, Ellen 1865 1946 Garrett, Ellen Melmoth Reconciled Produced by Dagny, Bonnie Sala, and David Widger "Melmoth Reconciled" by Honoré de Balzac is a novel written during the mid-19th century, exploring themes of morality, ambition, and the consequences of one’s actions. The narrative encapsulates the life of a cashier named Castanier, delving into his internal strife as he grapples with a moral dilemma that culminates in a Faustian pact, raising profound questions about virtue and vice in the context of society's expectations. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to the world of financial institutions in Paris, particularly focusing on the life of Castanier, who is portrayed as a weary and conflicted character caught in a web of deception and desperation. He is depicted in a dimly lit counting house aided only by the flickering light of a lamp, where he ultimately succumbs to temptation by attempting to forge his employer's signature in order to escape his mounting debts. As he contemplates his actions, a mysterious Englishman named Melmoth appears, engaging him in a surreal exchange that emphasizes Castanier's moral deterioration. The opening establishes a rich tapestry of social commentary, highlighting the stark contrast between societal ideals of wealth and integrity, and the personal struggles of those who traverse under its shadow. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 76.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en French fiction -- Translations into English PQ Text Category: Novels Category: French Literature 147414 2025-08-01T09:09:57.200418 text/html 147791 2021-01-27T21:41:30 text/html; charset=utf-8 121777 2025-08-01T09:10:01.550389 application/epub+zip 121994 2025-08-01T09:09:58.868393 application/epub+zip 121993 2025-08-01T09:09:57.806414 application/epub+zip 236707 2025-08-01T09:10:03.573378 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 227209 2025-08-01T09:10:00.914392 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 202958 2022-09-01T10:16:06.583830 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 127184 2025-08-01T09:09:56.897408 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 127206 2016-11-22T15:37:42 text/plain; charset=utf-8 17494 2025-08-01T09:10:03.712444 application/rdf+xml 13495 2025-08-01T09:09:58.298383 image/jpeg 3606 2025-08-01T09:09:58.051394 image/jpeg 118829 2025-08-01T09:09:57.213401 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 en.wikipedia fr.wikipedia More titles under Waring, James en.wikipedia