Modeste Mignon
Bored by provincial life and hungry for a grand romance, young Modeste Mignon writes an anonymous letter to a celebrated Parisian poet she adores. What she does not know is that the poet, vain and busy, has handed the correspondence to his devoted secretary, who answers in his master’s name and gradually falls in love with the unknown writer himself. Balzac spins the mix-up into a wry comedy about literary fame, feminine daydreams, and the gap between the idol and the honest man standing behind him. Beneath the wit runs a genuine tenderness for a spirited heroine slowly learning to tell true feeling from flattering illusion. Free PDF and EPUB editions are available to read and download here.
About the Author
Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) was a French novelist whose vast Human Comedy, a connected series of novels and stories, is a monument of literary realism and one of the great achievements of world literature.
See all books by Honoré de Balzac →
Listen to Modeste Mignon Audiobook Free
Listen to Modeste Mignon by Honoré de Balzac free online. The full audiobook (9 hr 29 min, 29 chapters, read by volunteer narrators) streams free on this page.
Modeste Mignon (1892) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01 - Dedication and Chapter 1 - The Chalet | 20:40 | |
| 2 | 02 - A Portrait from Life | 13:17 | |
| 3 | 03 - Preliminaries | 19:34 | |
| 4 | 04 - A Simple Story | 17:40 | |
| 5 | 05 - The Problem Still Unsolved | 17:49 | |
| 6 | 06 - A Maiden's First Romance | 21:54 | |
| 7 | 07 - A Poet of the Angelic School | 27:40 | |
| 8 | 08 - Blade to Blade | 21:33 | |
| 9 | 09 - The Power of the Unseen | 17:24 | |
| 10 | 10 - The Marriage of Souls | 24:06 | |
| 11 | 11 - What Comes of Correspondence | 16:06 | |
| 12 | 12 - A Declaration of Love, Set to Music | 22:34 | |
| 13 | 13 - A Full-Length Portrait of Monsieur de la Briere | 25:10 | |
| 14 | 14 - Matters Grown Complicated | 24:15 | |
| 15 | 15 - A Father Steps in | 27:08 | |
| 16 | 16 - Disenchanted | 11:32 | |
| 17 | 17 - A Third Suitor | 21:51 | |
| 18 | 18 - A Splendid First Appearance | 21:13 | |
| 19 | 19 - Of which the Author Thinks a Good Deal | 23:56 | |
| 20 | 20 - The Poet Does his Exercises | 20:56 | |
| 21 | 21 - Modeste Plays her Part | 20:38 | |
| 22 | 22 - A Riddle Guessed | 18:22 | |
| 23 | 23 - Butscha Distinguishes himself | 16:29 | |
| 24 | 24 - The Poet Feels that he is Loved too Well | 22:18 | |
| 25 | 25 - A Diplomatic Letter | 15:41 | |
| 26 | 26 - True Love | 14:58 | |
| 27 | 27 - A Girl's Revenge | 15:11 | |
| 28 | 28 - Modeste Behaves with Dignity | 15:26 | |
| 29 | 29 - Conclusion | 13:24 |
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