Par la faute de M. de Balzac

by André Maurois

"Par la faute de M. de Balzac" by André Maurois is a short story first published in 1923. The narrative follows Lecadieu, a brilliant but poor young man who attempts to climb the social ladder by seducing a minister's wife. When his real-life situation mirrors a scene from Balzac's novel, he imitates the fictional character's strategy with unexpected consequences. Decades later, his former classmate discovers how deeply literature shaped—and perhaps destroyed—his ambitious friend's destiny.