Balzac

I have had a real itch of late to revisit the work of the great French writer Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850.) Honestly, I have barely scratched his prodigious literary output. 

Addressed as Honore only by his close family, his friends preferred to call the temperamental novelist by the simple sobriquet of "Harry."

I mentioned this to my wife this morning and she noted that the esteemed scribe always threw a new wrinkle in but that his works hung rather low in comparison to his more accomplished peers.

Well, zoot alures! I say that Honore's books took courage and testicular fortitude and the critics be damned!

It has often been mentioned that the novelist was a real shvantz but tell me, what genius is ever recognized in his own lifetime? He was a man smart enough to put both his eggs in one basket and to s’occuper de ses oignons (take care of his own onions.)

Next time you reach down and take matters in hand, mon freres, doff your chapeau to this well rounded icon. It takes just such a man to plant civilization's seed.

Au revoir and joyeux Noël!

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Postscript - from Ralph

Harry actually kept his eggs in two baskets.