Pére Goriot. Honoré de Balzac. The World's Popular Classics. Hardback. Art-Type Edition.

Hardback, no dust jacket. 250 pages with one blanc page at the front and 4 at the back. Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac is one of the cornerstone novels in Balzac's monumental series La Comédie Humaine. This novel, first published in 1834–1835, is a masterful exploration of French society during the Restoration period. It focuses on the lives of several characters, but particularly centers on the tragic story of the title character, Père Goriot, a man who sacrifices everything—his wealth, his dignity, and his family—for the love of his two ungrateful daughters. Balzac uses the story to explore themes of social ambition, class, family, and the economic forces that drive human behavior.

As for the Art-Type Edition from The World's Popular Classics series, these editions were typically designed for an affordable, widely accessible version of classic works. The Art-Type Edition was known for having a particular aesthetic, with fine bindings and decorative page layouts, which made the books look more elegant and appealing despite being more affordable than true "fine" editions.

Ref: 1345, (V)