The Magic Skin. The Quest of the Absolute

<p>This collection brings together Honoré de Balzac's masterpiece The Magic Skin with a selection of his other compelling stories delving into themes of ambition desire and the human condition. The Magic Skin tells the story of a young man who acquires a magical piece of shagreen that grants his every wish but at the cost of his life force. As he indulges in his desires the skin shrinks and his days dwindle.</p> <p>Alongside this novella are other shorter works that showcase Balzac's skill in portraying the complexities of Parisian society and the inner lives of his characters. These stories filled with vivid descriptions and psychological insight offer a window into 19th-century France and the universal struggles of humanity. This Sterling Illustrated Edition invites readers to rediscover Balzac's enduring contribution to world literature.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>