Louis Lambert by Honoré de Balzac

Balzac wrote Louis Lambert during the summer of 1832 while he was staying with friends at the Château de Saché, and published three editions with three different titles. The novel contains a minimal plot, focusing mostly on the metaphysical ideas of its boy-genius protagonist and his only friend. Although it is not a significant example of the realist style for which Balzac became famous, the novel provides insight into the author’s own childhood.