Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau (1819-23)

Cesar Birotteau owns a perfume shop and like most merchants he wants to acquire the outward accoutrements of success like the ribbon of the legion of honor. When he attains his goal, he throws a big party at his home to celebrate, even altering the architecture of his house to accomodate the extravagant ball. These expenditures along with some bad speculations drive him into bankruptcy, but being an ideal exemplar of the businessman species, he makes good all his debts and promptly dies.

Another little interesting tidbit that Balzac inserts right into the story itself: the novel is constructed to follow the pattern of Beethoven's "Symphony in C", the climactic Birroteau Ball corresponding to the last movement of the symphony.

(Very Long, Cesar Birotteau,rfbrt10.txt)