“Cousin Bette” is a novel that has a very interesting and dynamic plot. The novel tells about the baroness - pious, submissive, loving her husband with her whole soul in spite of everything (although the reader still does not understand her sacrifices); about her cousin (namely Bette) - envious, mercenary, vindictive, calculating; about other disreputable women, who constantly use men as they want and live only for their own pleasure. Of course, it is about men, who are boring to spend their time and life with such pious and obedient, faithful and loving wives. They are eternally in search of adventures; they are ready to waste all their money for pleasure... Even in their old age, almost on their deathbed, men refuse their devotion for the sake of easy accessibility.
Disgust is a feeling which readers experience for the most part, reading this book. Aversion to such characters as Valerie, Baron Hector Hulot, and Crevel is understandable, because this is the main idea of Honoré de Balzac. Nevertheless, the reader cannot at all expect the fact that the author was able to bring good qualities to such an absurdity that you will begin to experience the same to their owners. For example, the devoted love of the wife to her husband. However, if this husband cheats on her wife throughout his life, loves other women in the public eye, spending all his money, ruining his family and disappearing, he raises antipathy. The wife, who is looking for him around the city with words “come back, my poor and unfortunate... you have suffered so much from these terrible women... return to the family and I will heal you with my love”, raises bewilderment, to put it mildly.
There is no possibility to make any own conclusions about the characters and their deeds, because the author did it himself so thoroughly that the description of these personages takes almost more place than the same novel. This is understandable, because Balzac’s goal was obviously “a picture of Parisian manners”, which he described with the help of colorful and convincing manner until loathing. However, it is better, when the characters manifest themselves in words and deeds. Readers do not like, when the main characters completely confess the truth about their traits and manners.
In general, the book gives ambiguous impressions. On the one hand, it is written masterfully, evokes emotions (for the most part, they are negative), and on the other hand, it evokes a dull annoyance by the characters and some dissatisfaction due to the finale. However, it is still interesting to be acquainted with this work. A crazy line of crazy events captures from the very beginning. The pages are difficult; there are interesting relationships and personalities. Balzac is inimitable as always.
The most important advantage of the novel is that it can make every reader appreciate love. Love is not just a word. Thanks to love, people live, become birds and can fly. Betrayal trims the wings and the person dies.
