The Wild Ass's Skin

Honoré de Balzac, Helen Constantine, Patrick Coleman (Professor of French, UCLA)

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English

Worlds Classics
15 June 2012

Series: Oxford World's Classics

'Who possesses me will possess all things, But his life will belong to me...'

Raphael de Valentin, a young aristocrat, has lost all his money in the gaming parlours of the Palais Royal in Paris, and contemplates ending his life by throwing himself into the Seine.

He is distracted by the bizarre array of objects in a chaotic antique shop, among them a strange animal skin, a piece of shagreen with magical properties.

It will grant its possessor his every wish, but each time a wish is bestowed the skin shrinks, hastening its owner's death.

Around this fantastic premise Balzac weaves a compelling psychological portrait of his hero, a prisoner of his own Promethean imagination, and explores profound ideas about the human will, vice and virtue, love and death.

Helen Constantine's new translation captures the energy and exuberance of Balzac's novel, one of the most engaging of his 'Études philosophiques' from the Comédie humaine. The accompanying introduction and notes offer fresh insights into this remarkable work.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

By: Honoré de Balzac
Introduction and notes by: Patrick Coleman (Professor of French UCLA)
Translated by: Helen Constantine
Imprint: Worlds Classics
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 195mm, Width: 128mm, Spine: 14mm
Weight: 206g
ISBN: 9780199579501
ISBN 10: 0199579504
Series: Oxford World's Classics
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 15 June 2012
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for The Wild Ass's Skin

A model of its kind * Nineteenth-Century French Studies * The novel has been elegantly translated by Helen Constantine, who is both faithful and creative * Nicholas White, Times Literary Supplement *