Author Honore de Balzac

 I have come to love Honore de Balzac rather late in life, discovering his works in my fifties after hearing him referenced in my children's recent performance of The Music Man.  Who was this author with the interesting name, when (and what) did he write?  As a lover of Dickens, Hardy and Hugo, I was destined to love the characterizations created by Honore de Balzac.
I began by reading the novel Ursula, from Balzac's series of stories, The Human Comedy.
The story of Ursula, a beautiful young orphan, raised by her distant relative and benefactor, "Uncle Minoret" is set in the French town of Nemours in the 1830's.  Balzac tells the tale of how Ursula is guided, loved and taught by a group of four elderly gentlemen.  Her uncle, Dr. Minoret, guided her world view, the Catholic curate, Abbe Chaperon, took charge of her religious training.  Monsieur de Jordy, a retired military captain and professor was her intellectual mentor and Monsieur Bongrand, lawyer and Justice of Peace, guarded and protected her present and future holdings.  These four gentlemen met each evening at 9pm, after little Ursula went to bed, to discuss her future, and to play whist and backgammon.  Their friendship  lasted all of their lives and molded Ursula into a kind, pious lovely, young woman.
The introduction of elderly Dr. Minoret's relatives, all residing in the town of Nemours, brings negative forces to bare around them.  The greedy relatives exhibit jealousy, greed, dishonesty and prejudice when presented with the spotless character of Ursula.  Events transpire to defraud her of her inheritance when Uncle Minoret passes away, something which is prepared for by the relatives and protected against, unto and after the grave, by her four benefactors.
I loved, loved, loved this book and am looking forward to my next chosen story in The Human Comedy, Father Goriot.