Read this in English, but Father Goriot sounds a bit naff.
Quite a difficult book to read, as no chapters or other natural breaks in the prose. Many of the same themes (and characters) as in no.186 above, Vautrin the master criminal in particular (although he gets hauled off to prison and disappears from the end of this book).
Père Goriot is a King Lear figure, but with no Cordelia. Goneril and Reagan are a couple of daughters who he has married into the corrupt aristocracy; one indeed to the husband in no.186) who is besotted with and squanders his money on Esther.
The daughters both have wastrel lovers and cannot really be bothered with their father who dies miserably in an excess of unrequited love for them. Wife and lover do pretty clearly sleep together in this one.
Enough Balzac I think for now.
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