Honore de Balzac Short Story Collections books in order

Honore de Balzac's short story collections bring together his shorter works in various English-language editions, offering accessible entry points into his fiction.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 After Dinner Stories from Balzac 2008 Honore de Balzac Buy
2 The King’s Sweetheart, The Maid of Thilouse, and The Reproach 2008 Honore de Balzac Buy
3 Juana, and the Red Inn 2006 Honore de Balzac Buy
4 The Napolean of the People and El Verdugo 2007 Honore de Balzac Buy
5 Massimilla Doni and Le Chef D’Oeuvre Inconnu 1996 Honore de Balzac Buy
6 Tales of the Napoleonic Era 2010 Honore de Balzac Buy
7 A Tragedy by the Sea and Other Stories 2011 Honore de Balzac Buy
8 A Marriage Settlement, And, Modeste Mignon: And Other Stories 2018 Honore de Balzac Buy
9 The Member For Arcis, The Seamy Side Of History, And Other Stories Part 2 2008 Honore de Balzac Buy
10 The Atheist’s Mass, and Other Stories 1986 Honore de Balzac Buy
11 Ten Droll Tales 1987 Honore de Balzac Buy
12 Domestic Peace 1989 Honore de Balzac Buy
13 The Commission in Lunacy, and Pierre Grassou 2006 Honore de Balzac Buy
14 The Exiles, and Other Short Stories 2006 Honore de Balzac Buy
15 The Celibates And Other Stories 2008 Honore de Balzac Buy
16 At The Sign Of The Cat And Racket / The Ball At Sceaux / The Purse / Madame Firmiani / Pierrette 2009 Honore de Balzac Buy
17 Honore de Balzac, Vol. 8: Provincial Life 2015 Honore de Balzac Buy
18 The Magic Skin. the Hidden Masterpiece 2015 Honore de Balzac Buy
19 The Country Parsonand Albert Savaron 2015 Honore de Balzac Buy
20 The Chouans; The Gondreville Mystery, and Other Stories 2018 Honore de Balzac Buy

Honore de Balzac’s short story collections have been published in English in many forms over more than a century. These range from themed selections like Tales of the Napoleonic Era and A Tragedy by the Sea and Other Stories to broader compilations covering his provincial and Parisian fiction.

Ten Droll Tales (1987) stands apart from the rest, being Balzac’s collection of comic, bawdy stories set in medieval and Renaissance France rather than the contemporary settings of most of his work. Later collections from the 2000s and 2010s have repackaged his stories for modern readers, often grouping them by theme or period. These collections provide a convenient way to sample Balzac’s range without committing to his longer novels.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Honore de Balzac Short Story Collections series?

There are twenty books in the Honore de Balzac Short Story Collections series, published between 1986 and 2018.

What is the first book in the Honore de Balzac Short Story Collections series?

The first book in the Honore de Balzac Short Story Collections series is After Dinner Stories from Balzac, published in 2008.

What subjects do Balzac's short story collections cover?

The collections span a wide range. Some focus on specific themes, like Tales of the Napoleonic Era, while others group stories by setting or style. Ten Droll Tales (Contes drolatiques) is a collection of bawdy stories set in earlier centuries, quite different from the realism of his novels.

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