Book picks similar to
Lost Souls by Honoré de Balzac


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La Femme de Gilles


Madeleine Bourdouxhe - 1937
    Devastated, Elisa unravels. As controlled as Elena Ferrante's The Days of Abandonment and as propulsive as Jenny Offill's Dept. of Speculation, La Femme de Gilles is a hauntingly contemporary story of desperation and lust and obsession, from an essential early-feminist writer.Just after her novel was first published in 1937, Madeleine Bourdouxhe disassociated herself from her publisher (which had been taken over by the Nazis) and spent most of World War II in Brussels, actively working for the resistance. Though she continued to write, her work was largely overlooked by history . . . until now.

The Complete Little World of Don Camillo


Giovannino Guareschi - 2013
    TALKING WITH GODIn Don Camillo's Little World, where the Cold War is fought on the very doorstep of life, the hot-headed Catholic priest and the equally pugnacious Communist mayor, Peppone, confront one another in riotous and often hilarious manner.But when Don Camillo unburdens himself in the village church a voice from the cross above the high altar responds and his conversations with Il Cristo begin. We watch and listen, as with fascinating insights and gentle humour the prejudices of the stubborn priest are undermined, a resolution to conflict emerges, and the situation is transformed to the benefit of the community.It is then that we see that the ideas and values of Don Camillo's Little World are true for all times, the world over...Inimitable, delicious, full of pure fun THE OBSERVERIn this brand new, authorised edition of Giovanni Guareschi's enchanting classic, nineteen stories never before translated into English are published for the first time. Set in an isolated village amidst the sultry beauty of Italy s Lower Plain, The Little World of Don Camillo has been enjoyed by countless folk from 10 to 100, not only in book form, but also on film, TV and radio, and most recently as an audio-book.

The Manuscript Found in Saragossa


Jan Potocki - 1810
    But he soon finds himself mysteriously detained at a highway inn in the strange and varied company of thieves, brigands, cabbalists, noblemen, coquettes and gypsies, whose stories he records over sixty-six days. The resulting manuscript is discovered some forty years later in a sealed casket, from which tales of characters transformed through disguise, magic and illusion, of honour and cowardice, of hauntings and seductions, leap forth to create a vibrant polyphony of human voices. Jan Potocki (1761-1812) used a range of literary styles - gothic, picaresque, adventure, pastoral, erotica - in his novel of stories-within-stories, which, like the Decameron and Tales from the Thousand and One Nights, provides entertainment on an epic scale.

Proud Beggars


Albert Cossery - 1955
    But the real mystery at the heart of Albert Cossery's wry black comedy is not the cause of this death but the paradoxical richness to be found in even the most materially impoverished life. Chief among Cossery's proud beggars is Gohar, a former professor turned whorehouse accountant, hashish aficionado, and street philosopher. Such is his native charm that he has accumulated a small coterie that includes Yeghen, a rhapsodic poet and drug dealer, and El Kordi, an ineffectual clerk and would-be revolutionary who dreams of rescuing a consumptive prostitute. The police investigator Nour El Dine, harboring a dark secret of his own, suspects all three of the murder but finds himself captivated by their warm good humor. How is it that they live amid degrading poverty, yet possess a joie de vivre that even the most assiduous forces of state cannot suppress? Do they, despite their rejection of social norms and all ambition, hold the secret of contentment? And so this short novel, considered one of Cossery's masterpieces, is at once biting social commentary, police procedural, and a mischievous delight in its own right.

Blue Eyes, Black Hair


Marguerite Duras - 1986
    Emotionally charged, sparsely written, and vicariously compelling, Marguerite Duras's novel centers on the desire of a young man for another man he has only glimpsed once, but with whom he falls desperately in love.

No Tomorrow


Vivant Denon - 1777
    This tale of seduction is itself a seduction, with a plot that could be said to slowly unveil itself before arriving at last at an unexpected consummation.Summoned by Madame de T—— to her country house, the young hero of Deion's novella is taken on a tour of the grounds, only the beginning of a night that not only will be full of unanticipated delights but will give rise to unforeseen, perhaps unanswerable, questions. Lydia Davis's definitive translation of Denon's slim masterpiece is accompanied by the French text. Peter Brooks's illuminating introduction explores the mysteries of No Tomorrow's original publication and the subtleties of Denon's ethics of pleasure.

The Most Holy Trinosophia of the Comte de St. Germain


Comte de Saint-Germain - 1980
    Germain is one of the most baffling personalities of modern history. His activities are traceable for more than one hundred: years between 1710 and 1822, leading Frederick the Great to refer to him as "the man who does not die." An outstanding scholar and linguist, a great musician and painter, as well as a chemist with skill so profound he could change base metals into gold, he was also enormously wealthy and was on intimate terms with the crowned heads of Europe. Nothing is known about the source of St. Germain's occult knowledge; he merely admitted he was obeying the orders of a power higher than himself, saying that his father was the Secret Doctrine and his mother the Mysteries.

Florville and Courval


Marquis de Sade - 1800
    Florville decides that before she can marry him she must confess all of her sins to him so that they will have no secrets. The tales are sordid and come together in an entirely unexpected way for both the narrator and the reader.

She Who Was No More


Boileau-Narcejac - 1952
    But Ferdinand has another lover, Lucienne, an ambitious doctor, and together the adulterers have devised a murderous plan. Drugging Mireille, the pair drown her in a bathtub, but in the morning, before the "accidental" death can be discovered, the corpse is gone--so begins the unraveling of Ferdinand's plot, and his sanity... This classic of French noir fiction was adapted for the screen by Henri-Georges Clouzot as Les Diaboliques (The Devils), starring Simone Signoret and Véra Clouzot, the film which in turn inspired Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. A second movie version, Diabolique, followed in 1996, starring Sharon Stone.

Love, Anger, Madness: A Haitian Trilogy


Marie Vieux-Chauvet - 1968
    In a brilliant translation by Rose-Myriam Réjouis and Val Vinokur, Love, Anger, Madness is a scathing response to the struggles of race, class, and sex that have ruled Haiti. Suppressed upon its initial publication in 1968, this major work became an underground classic and was finally released in an authorized edition in France in 2005.In Love, Anger, Madness, Marie Vieux-Chauvet offers three slices of life under an oppressive regime. Gradually building in emotional intensity, the novellas paint a shocking portrait of families and artists struggling to survive under Haiti’s terrifying government restrictions that have turned its society upside down, transforming neighbors into victims, spies, and enemies.In “Love,” Claire is the eldest of three sisters who occupy a single house. Her dark skin and unmarried status make her a virtual servant to the rest of the family. Consumed by an intense passion for her brother-in-law, she finds redemption in a criminal act of rebellion.In “Anger,” a middle-class family is ripped apart when twenty-year-old Rose is forced to sleep with a repulsive soldier in order to prevent a government takeover of her father’s land.And in “Madness,” René, a young poet, finds himself trapped in a house for days without food, obsessed with the souls of the dead, dreading the invasion of local military thugs, and steeling himself for one final stand against authority. Sympathetic, savage and truly compelling with an insightful introduction by Edwidge Danticat, Love, Anger, Madness is an extraordinary, brave and graphic evocation of a country in turmoil.

CHACHA CHAUDHARY DIGEST 152: CHACHA CHAUDHARY


Pran Kumar Sharma - 2017
    Thus CHACHA CHAUDHARY was born in 1971.Tall and robust SABU, who is an inhabitant of planet Jupiter, gave Chaudhary an ideal company. A combination of wisdom and strength was formed to tackle any difficult task. It is said that " Chacha Chaudhary's brain works faster than a computer". Though both fight the criminals and tricksters, each episode ends with a touch of humour. The duo perform in lighter vein. The CHAUDHARY family consists of his wife Bini, a fat sharp tongue woman, Sabu, Rocket - the dog and Dag- Dag, an old truck who is half human- half machine. Chacha Chaudhary is the most popular Indian comics. More than 10 million readers enjoy this series regularly in newspapers and comic books in ten languages. A T.V. serial based on the comics has crossed 500 episodes and still continue to be telecast on premier channel "Sahara ONE".

The Mistake : A True Love Story


Bishwanath Singh - 2019
    It is the blessing and it is the curse. What if love comes in your way and the situations turn your fate up-side-down? One such story is "The Mistake: A True Love Story". Vijay Singh an enthusiastic student steps into the engineering college and he meets Ankita, a girl with a dark past. He follows her and does crazy things to get her. His passion for her is undying and when Ankita agrees to be with him. Unfortunately, he meets with an accident and gets admitted to the hospital. Fate takes a strange turn.What will happen to Vijay Singh? What is the unknown past of Ankita? Will they recreate their love and passion for each other after the accident? What are the consequences which Vijay faces? The plight of Vijay's courtship is one filled with peaks and valleys.Review:"It's an amazing book. Truly touched my soul...!! I am 100% sure that this book is based on true story. Have u ever fall in love, what was that actual feeling, emotions and affection from him/her you can experience every single emotion in this book."-Amit, Amazon Top Reviewer

Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude - Book Summary in 1,000 Words


Read Less Know More - 2013
    “Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude - Book Summary in 1,000 Words” is exactly what it suggests – a 1,000-word summary of “One Hundred Years of Solitude”. This download will give you a first-person view into the story of this book. It will give you better insight into whether this is something that you want to read and even better, you can do it all within 15 minutes or less. It’s literally the twitter of the e-book world. What makes Salinger - Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude - Book Summary in 1,000 Words different from other books is that we have combined the essence of book summary and our love for books, creating a way for readers to pre-read books before buying them. If you’ve ever wasted your time reading a book that wasn’t interesting, you know how big of a difference this could make. Knowing exactly what you’re about to read without getting too many spoilers will help readers make better decisions about the books they download. Now, you’ll be able to get the gist of any story in 1,000 words or less. If you would like to read more book summaries in 1,000-word (all the most famous books - best classics of all times) – please search for book summaries published by 'Read Less Know More'. A lot of people buy e-books without having this useful insight and this sometimes leads to disappointment. Now, you can minimize this probability with our innovative form of e-book publishing using 1,000-word Book Summaries.

Without Him: Maybe She's Better Off?


Fiona O'Brien - 2010
    Then Charlie's business empire crashes and he vanishes. While their privileged beautiful daughters Olivia and Emma have to come to terms with being broke, eleven-year-old Mac refuses to talk about what happened. When Charlie's estranged mother, Vera opens her doors to the broken family, secrets emerge that reveal there was more to Charlie than meets the eye. But Charlie's shell shocked family aren't the only ones asking questions . . . The darkly enigmatic Russian billionaire Lukaz Mihailov arrives in Dublin with some unfinished business. What better way to track down Charlie than befriend his pretty and very vulnerable, abandoned wife Shelley . . . Is blood is always thicker than water? Maybe Charlie's family are simply better off without him ....

WE CAN, WE WILL, WE MUST - A story of love & inspiration to win life when it hits you hard


Saranya Umakanthan - 2018
    And if she falls, he will be there to catch her, lift her, and push her again until she flies to stars…” Love…does it mean going around the trees in Switzerland, singing tra-la-la-la in the snow? Is it chanting “I love you” mantra a thousand times a day? Is it about gifting teddies and roses to your partner? Or is it bombarding each other with a thousand and one pings in Messenger from morning till night? Life batters Samaira. Stuck to these clichés, she loses everything…her love, parents, and wealth. Hopeless, she collides against the dynamic boss of Creative Tanks (CT), Vivian, who basically holds great contempt for losers. He aims to be the top entrepreneur in India, whereas Samaira has not even a notion of her dreams. Fate plays its own game when she goes in search of work, where she encounters him again. An air of mystery surrounds her, which tugs at him. Despite being opposites, sparks fly, and they are attracted. Vivian is perfect, but she vows that she will never fall in love again. He reaches a point where he would do just about anything to bring back the smile on her face. The chase begins. She keeps running away…from love, hope, and aspirations, and he keeps trying to bring her back on track. Thus their journey begins from the end, with oodles of inspiration and love… Vivian breaks Samaira’s shell and guides her into pursuing her broken dreams. He promises that he will be there for her if life pulls her down and hold her tight when she needs support. Together, they vow to each other, “We can. We will. We must.” But when Vivian tumbles and it is Samaira’s turn to break his fall, will she catch him? Walking on the arduous path of life, will they climb the ladder of success together or crash and burn? Can love be enough of a catalyst to attain their dreams? And now life threatened not to throw just lemons but huge melons…