, which was first published in October 1832 as one of Balzac’s
Nouveaux contes philosophiques[New Philosophical Tales], was eventually incorporated, following considerable expansion and modification, in the section of his
Comédie humaine[Human Comedy] entitled
Études philosophiques[Philosophical Studies]. Significantly longer than the other three stories that comprised the original collection (
Maître Cornélius,
Madame Firmiani, and
L’Auberge rouge[The Red Inn]), it continued the author’s fascination with the destructive nature of thought when pursued to excess. It thus provided a further illustration of what the emergent critic Philarète Chasles had described, in the Introduction he had written to the
Romans et contes philosophiques[Philosophical Novels and…
3604 words
Citation: Tilby, Michael. "Louis Lambert". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 November 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=21925, accessed 21 November 2024.]
