On your right, along Casimir Delavigne Path, lies the grave of Honoré de Balzac. France has produced some of the world’s most beautiful and renowned literature. Honoré de Balzac stands out as one of France’s greatest novelists, a key figure of the 19th century whose works left a lasting mark. There are so many French authors that it’s not always easy to know who wrote what. His most famous work is Old Goriot, published in 1834, the story of a immoral society obsessed with wealth. The novel follows several characters, including Goriot himself, who watches his daughters slowly turn their backs on him, leading him into sorrow and despair. An unhappy tale that reflects a deep truth about the era’s misfortunes… that, in some ways, still resonate today. Balzac’s extraordinary legacy to French literature lives on, through his 90 novels and short stories written between 1829 and 1855. He inspired major literary figures who came after him, such as Marcel Proust and Charles Dickens. The renowned Victor Hugo delivered Balzac’s eulogy when he was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in 1850. La Comédie Humaine, his life’s work, remained incomplete upon his death, yet it didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest names in French literature.