Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Treatise on Elegant Living | 1830 | Honore de Balzac | Buy |
Honore de Balzac’s non-fiction output is small compared to his enormous body of fiction, but Treatise on Elegant Living offers a revealing look at his interests. Published in 1830, it examines the social codes of dress, behavior, and style among the French upper classes with the same observational detail that fills his novels.
The treatise reads as part social commentary and part satire, reflecting Balzac’s lifelong fascination with how people present themselves and how appearance shapes social standing. The themes of status, money, and social performance that run through the Treatise are the same ones that drive the plots of his fiction.