Born in 1799 in Tours, France, Honore de Balzac was the son of a civil servant.
He is considered as one of the most talented French novelists.
Balzac was a very active public personality, never parting from his famous walking stick, and although he was an addict of the "Cafes" at the Parisian Boulevards, he was writing day and night to achieve his gigantic masterpiece, "La Comedie Humaine".