Project Gutenberg 2004-06-01 Public domain in the USA. 178 Balzac, Honoré de 1799 1850 Balzac, Honore de Saint-Aubin, Horace de De Balzac, Honoré Balzac, H. de (Honoré de) Wormeley, Katharine Prescott 1830 1908 The Alkahest Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny, and David Widger "The Alkahest" by Honoré de Balzac is a novel written in the early 19th century. The story delves into themes of obsession, the pursuit of knowledge, and the impact of one's ambitions on family life, centered around the lives of Balthazar Claes and his wife, Josephine. It explores Claes' relentless quest for the Philosopher's Stone, a mythical substance said to turn base metals into gold, which consumes him and gradually creates strife within his household. At the start of the narrative, the reader is introduced to the House of Claes in Douai, a residence infused with rich Flemish history. The opening elaborates on the architectural significance of the house and the Claes family's esteemed past, weaving in a poignant portrait of their lives. As Balthazar becomes increasingly absorbed in his scientific endeavors, neglecting his family and responsibilities, his wife Josephine grapples with feelings of despair and concern for her children’s future. Their once-happy marriage begins to fray as Balthazar's obsession leads them down a path of potential ruin, establishing a dichotomy between ambition and familial duty that pervades the novel. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 64.4 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Philosophical anthropology -- Fiction French fiction -- Translations into English PQ Text Category: Novels Category: French Literature 496390 2025-08-01T09:51:12.945836 text/html 508288 2021-01-27T20:43:11 text/html; charset=utf-8 244059 2025-08-01T09:51:19.828341 application/epub+zip 251012 2025-08-01T09:51:14.773416 application/epub+zip 251012 2025-08-01T09:51:13.641402 application/epub+zip 426288 2025-08-01T09:51:23.682295 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 400741 2025-08-01T09:51:19.121423 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 370118 2022-09-01T11:03:22.352327 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 436208 2025-08-01T09:51:12.247861 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 436234 2016-11-21T14:10:48 text/plain; charset=utf-8 17459 2025-08-01T09:51:23.828297 application/rdf+xml 11635 2025-08-01T09:51:14.149333 image/jpeg 3123 2025-08-01T09:51:13.897331 image/jpeg 236173 2025-08-01T09:51:12.981366 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 en.wikipedia