The Girl with the Golden Eyes by Honoré de Balzac is a captivating tale of love, lust, and betrayal set in 19th century Paris. The story follows the alluring Paquita Valdès, a mysterious beauty who catches the eye of a wealthy young man named Henri de Marsay.

As Henri becomes more and more obsessed with Paquita, he uncovers dark secrets about her past and her true identity. Balzac masterfully weaves together themes of passion, jealousy, and the corrupting influence of wealth and power.

The characters in the novel are complex and deeply flawed, making them both compelling and repulsive at the same time. The descriptions of Parisian society are vivid and atmospheric, transporting the reader back in time to a world of decadence and moral decay.

Overall, The Girl with the Golden Eyes is a gripping and thought-provoking read that explores the darker side of human nature. Balzac's prose is elegant and poetic, drawing the reader into a world of forbidden desires and dangerous obsessions. Highly recommended for fans of classic literature and psychological thrillers.

Book Description:
"Give me a feast such as men give when they love," she said, "and whilst I sleep, slay me..."

Listeners who like to plunge straight into a story would do well to skip the lengthy preamble. Here, Balzac the virtuoso satirist depicts the levels of Parisian society as a version of the Inferno of Dante - but perhaps keeps the reader waiting too long for the first act of his operatic extravaganza.

Our beautiful, androgynous hero, Henri de Marsay, is one of the bastard offspring of a depraved Regency milord and himself practises the cynical arts of the libertine. His quarry is the exotic Paquita Valdes, she of the golden eyes.

But there is a mysterious third person in this liaison...

The shocking truth of their interrelationships marks this out at once as one of those French novels that Lady Bracknell would instantly ban from the house.