The Alkahest by Honoré de Balzac

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1453.html.images 485 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1453.epub3.images 238 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1453.epub.noimages 245 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1453.kf8.images 416 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1453.kindle.images 391 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1453.txt.utf-8 422 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1453/pg1453-h.zip 231 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Balzac, Honoré de, 1799-1850
Translator Wormeley, Katharine Prescott, 1830-1908
Title The Alkahest
Credits Produced by John Bickers, and Dagny, and David Widger
Summary "The Alkahest" by Honoré de Balzac is a novel written in the early 19th century. The story delves into themes of obsession, the pursuit of knowledge, and the impact of one's ambitions on family life, centered around the lives of Balthazar Claes and his wife, Josephine. It explores Claes' relentless quest for the Philosopher's Stone, a mythical substance said to turn base metals into gold, which consumes him and gradually creates strife within his household. At the start of the narrative, the reader is introduced to the House of Claes in Douai, a residence infused with rich Flemish history. The opening elaborates on the architectural significance of the house and the Claes family's esteemed past, weaving in a poignant portrait of their lives. As Balthazar becomes increasingly absorbed in his scientific endeavors, neglecting his family and responsibilities, his wife Josephine grapples with feelings of despair and concern for her children’s future. Their once-happy marriage begins to fray as Balthazar's obsession leads them down a path of potential ruin, establishing a dichotomy between ambition and familial duty that pervades the novel. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Subject Philosophical anthropology -- Fiction
Subject French fiction -- Translations into English
Category Text
EBook-No. 1453
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Jan 27, 2021
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 76 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!