3.5*

I think that it is possible that with a more modern translation, I might have given this novella 4*. Even so, I enjoyed Balzac's writing style and could easily understand how this was considered a "Scene from Private Life" as it is primarily concerned with the difficulties facing a young naive new wife when she and her husband begin to realize how different their background and ideas are. ( )

Crítica | Ao “Chat-qui-Pelote”, de Honoré de Balzac: https://www.planocritico.com/critica-ao-chat-qui-pelote-de-honore-de-balzac/ ( )

i feel like i got an abridged version or a terrible translation (clara bell is the translator) or something. this was so choppy and flowed terribly. the ending was actually shocking in that in the third to last paragraph augustine is with her mother, and in the second to last paragraph augustine is dead. it jumps like this all over the place, throughout the novella, and reads like pages were left out. i was predisposed to dislike it anyway, based on content, but the all-over-the-place-ness of it really ruined it for me.

my first balzac and it doesn't make me want to read more. although here and there it was humorous or enjoyable.

"Although their father was rich, ...their mother often talked of having them taught to cook, so that they might know how to order a dinner and scold a cook with due knowledge." ( )

Arranqué con "La Comedia Humana". ( )

Description d'une devanture du magasin pendant 1/3 du livre ( )