Patricia
08-25-2007, 08:21 AM
Honoré De Balzac
The Atheist’s Mass
(La messe de l’athée)
Translated by Clara Bell
A short story of about 6,700 words.
Young Doctor Bianchon repeatedly sees his chief of surgery, Desplein, attending mass. Yet Desplein is a noted freethinker and atheist. Eventually, Bianchon asks the reason for this strange behaviour and Desplein tells him a story…
Bianchon and Desplein are two characters who will turn up frequently in the Comédie Humaine. Balzac was the first person to hit on the idea of recurring characters.
I have added a picture, and restored accents and italics etc.
The Atheist’s Mass
(La messe de l’athée)
Translated by Clara Bell
A short story of about 6,700 words.
Young Doctor Bianchon repeatedly sees his chief of surgery, Desplein, attending mass. Yet Desplein is a noted freethinker and atheist. Eventually, Bianchon asks the reason for this strange behaviour and Desplein tells him a story…
Bianchon and Desplein are two characters who will turn up frequently in the Comédie Humaine. Balzac was the first person to hit on the idea of recurring characters.
I have added a picture, and restored accents and italics etc.
