# Père Goriot

> 1835 novel by Honoré de Balzac

**Wikidata**: [Q240617](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q240617)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Père_Goriot)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/pere-goriot

## Summary
*Père Goriot* is an 1835 novel by French author Honoré de Balzac, originally published under the title *Le Père Goriot*. It is a key component of Balzac's monumental series *The Human Comedy* and is recognized as a seminal work of literary realism and historical fiction.

## Key Facts
- **Title:** *Père Goriot* (also known as *Old Goriot* or *Le Père Goriot*).
- **Author:** Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), a French novelist and playwright.
- **Publication Date:** March 1835.
- **Genre:** Literary work; classified as historical fiction.
- **Series:** Part of the series *The Human Comedy* (1822–1848).
- **Narrative Placement:** Follows *Colonel Chabert* (1832) and is followed by *La Femme de trente ans* (1842) within the author's fictional framework.
- **Country of Origin:** France.
- **Wikidata Identifier:** Q19363249.
- **Notable Characters:** Features the character Vautrin, a recurring figure in Balzac's novels.

## FAQs
**What is *Père Goriot* and when was it written?**
*Père Goriot* is a novel by Honoré de Balzac published in March 1835. It is considered a masterpiece of French realism.

**How does *Père Goriot* fit into Honoré de Balzac's larger body of work?**
The novel is a distinct volume within *The Human Comedy*, Balzac's multi-volume series of novels and stories depicting French society. It follows the novel *Colonel Chabert* and precedes *La Femme de trente ans* in the sequence of works.

**What genre does *Père Goriot* belong to?**
It is classified as a literary work and specifically as historical fiction, a genre defined by stories set in the past.

**Who is the author of *Père Goriot* and what is he known for?**
The author is Honoré de Balzac, a French novelist and playwright renowned for pioneering literary realism. He is best known for *The Human Comedy*, a vast collection of interlinked narratives.

## Why It Matters
*Père Goriot* stands as a foundational text in the development of literary realism. As a critical component of *The Human Comedy*, it exemplifies Balzac's innovative technique of using recurring characters—such as the criminal mastermind Vautrin—across multiple works to create a cohesive, detailed portrait of post-Napoleonic French society. The novel's unflinching depiction of social ambition, parental sacrifice, and the realities of Parisian life influenced generations of writers, including Émile Zola and Marcel Proust, cementing Balzac's legacy as a master of social critique.

## Notable For
- Being a central part of *The Human Comedy* series.
- Pioneering the technique of recurring characters across a literary series.
- Establishing Honoré de Balzac as a preeminent figure in literary realism.
- Featuring the character Vautrin, who appears in multiple Balzac novels.
- Being a significant example of the historical fiction genre.

## Body

### Publication and Identity
*Père Goriot* is a novel by Honoré de Balzac, first published in March 1835. The work is identified by the title *Le Père Goriot* and carries the alternative title *Old Goriot*. It is cataloged as a literary work, a classification denoting a written creation intended for reading and artistic value, and is further categorized under the genre of historical fiction.

### Place in *The Human Comedy*
The novel serves as a component of Honoré de Balzac's magnum opus, *The Human Comedy* (1822–1848). This series, comprising over 90 novels and stories, aims to depict the entirety of French society. *Père Goriot* is structurally positioned within this framework; it follows the novel *Colonel Chabert* (1829) and precedes *La Femme de trente ans* (1842). The work is linked to the broader narrative universe through shared characters, most notably Vautrin, who acts as a connecting figure across multiple narratives in the series.

### Author Background
The author, Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), was a French novelist and playwright born in Tours, France. Educated at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), Lycée Charlemagne, and the Paris Law Faculty, Balzac abandoned a legal career to pursue writing. He is celebrated for his contributions to literary realism and his intricate social narratives. His legacy is preserved at the Maison de Balzac in Paris, a museum established in 1949. Balzac was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour, and his influence extends to celestial commemorations, including a crater on Mercury and an asteroid named in his honor.

### Genre and Classification
*Père Goriot* is classified as an instance of a literary work, a subclass of written work and a type of work of art. Specifically, it belongs to the genre of historical fiction, defined as a story set in the past. As a literary work, it is distinct from mere editions or translations, representing the original artistic creation composed of text.

### Identifiers and Cataloging
The novel is extensively cataloged in academic and digital archives. Key identifiers include:
- **Wikidata ID:** Q19363249
- **VIAF ID:** 181402818
- **GND ID:** 4223910-2
- **BnF ID:** 11988051b
- **Open Library ID:** OL85047W
- **Project Gutenberg:** Available at https://www.projekt-gutenberg.org/balzac/goriot/goriot.html
- **Encyclopædia Britannica ID:** topic/Le-Pere-Goriot
- **De Agostini ID:** 1237
- **Treccani ID:** le-pere-goriot
- **Encyclopedia of China ID:** 20448

The work is also linked to the "Category:Literary works" and is maintained by WikiProject Books, ensuring its structured documentation across knowledge platforms.

## References

1. BnF authorities
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac | Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL85047W/La_p%C3%A8re_Goriot?edition=key%3A/books/OL2026499M)
4. Integrated Authority File
5. [Source](https://wolnelektury.pl/katalog/lektura/ojciec-goriot/)
6. Virtual Study of Theatre Institute