Muleskinner Book Recommendation #15

Le Cousin Pons

( p. 1848)

(by Honoré de Balzac)

[Recommendation 5/2009]

A time for another novel in these series of recommendations, and this time it is Le Cousin Pons (1848) by Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850). The book tells basically a story from struggle over inheritance and testament left after by the main character, an old boy named Pons. Our Balzaccerian realistic drama here contains all the elements and/or personnel typical for many novels of the period, early 19^th century literature/belles lettres. It is presented as some kind of farce, and by subject 'as old as Adam', like goes the phrase. There are (fx) the ruthless (non-direct) relatives seeking for their share, the intriguing neighbours, the greedy jude (antique dealer), the corrupted lawyer, etc.

In short, the plot goes like: Pons, an appreciated Parisian composer is described as an old time tailcoat spending his later days and times in search of a dinner within upper class circles, mainly tolerated because of his great expertise on art works and antiques. Pons also has a passion, collecting the aforementioned things. However, during years Pons's appreciation in among those families has diminished and ultimately as result he becomes discriminated from their part, an unvited guest. Then, partly as consequence from malicious conspiracies against him and partly because unfortunate coincidents, Pons catches an illness and ultimately (in the end of book) dies. The latter part is devoted to describing, how during Pons illnes, all kinds of people try to interlace in the making of his last will, and catch their share from this collection, worth remarkable sum in francs, about Million or so(in 1830s currency, of course).

It must be remarked, that at first the novel gives quite mediocre impression; plot is not always so well captivating, the characters not as cleverly depicted as one would expect. And as such, its also quite typical in resembling some of the techniques of and personnel in the older examples in fiction - Say Moliere's(1622-1673) archetypical characters and drama's(Balzac also wrote few drama's in his latter days). As well, because Balzac's works mostly precede the flourishment of the so called 'Psychological novel' (or; 'Psychological realism', a genre that was just in birth/whose earliest roots are often traced back in the time of Balzacs early works, 1830s in French literature), Le Cousin Pons may appear little old-fashioned (for the modern reader). This so, even if comparing to some contemporary writings we've here earlier discussed. But it's not to say that Balzac's narration wouldn't contain a sharp psychological eye, only that his technique has some older origins. After all, he's often also honored with the title of the 'father' in French realism.

And, we must admit that book is not possibly even the best example from writings that were included in Balzac's magnicifient project, La Comedié Humaine. (A title he planned to combine together all his efforts in fiction by fx making supporting and other characters appear repeatedly in different stories – about some 90 novels and short stories he was able to publish in his life-times, though the complete work was then left partially unfinished because of author's early death). There's probably better representatives in Comedié Humaine, works that also contain the most evident features of Balzac's realism, it's richness in detail and characterization - like fx César Birotteau¹, that we could as well have presented as a noteworthy example. Also, most of his novels clearly lose in comparison to some of the masteful short-stories; like La Fille aux yeux D'or (The Girl with the Golden Eyes; 1833) or Sarrasine (1830), to mention a few.

So, why have we chosen here Le Cousin Pons? Basically, because its also story from the collector, a point of interest to us here.

The collector aspect is in every way deliberate choice for personnel type, and actually the main character (Pons) has later often been also interpreted as some kind of alter ego from Balzac himself (who was collecting paintings and antique). But this is not the only explanation ; It could be seen as intentional choice also because such character often appears as showing opposing kind of attitude to consumerist values and other socially favourable behaviour. Of course, Pons is not any kind of 'rebellious hero', but from literature histories we also learn that those processes (the early formations in the development of capitalism and subsequent change in society values) were largely taking place at the time when Balzac was writing his realistic novels during the early 19^th century - and indeed the bourgeusie life and his disapproval from its features are among the themes in plenty of the works in La Comédia Humaine. Balzac is also recognized as some kind of example from the earliest bohemists, later admired from that by fx Baudelaire (1821-1867), though these attitudes have been also interpretated as expressions of Balzac's royalist opinions.

So, one might then ask what kind values Pons holds different to those of early consumerism in the society at the time of this description? Is his collectorial habit something similar to habit of preservation of the old family furniture and other things that once belonged to owners parents or date back even further times in family's ancestral tree? Kind of more archaic attitude (each object carrying some recollected memories and notes from past relatives and personnel) that can be described as 'curatorial pattern of consumption', like defined by fx Grant McCracken in his research from consumption. This is rarer practise these days and originates back to 18^th century; in times when people generally inherited more than they possibly gained otherways². But in the times of the novels happenings it may have still been more conventional. However, concerning our particular example here (Pons collections); these aren't similarly related to his family lineage's, since he hasn't inherited them, but collected them using his own sharpened skills and foresighted abilities. And indeed, If Pons collections are interpreted as some storehouses for his own memoirs, they are merely memoirs from his personal victories and successes on that field(the collectors hobby). We would even say that in more typical to modern consumerism appears the basic nature of collecting, for some level a capital-related practise, too as shows also quote from Balzac's text:

” [...]and at length, in the pleasures of collecting, he found such ever-renewed compensation for his failure, that if he had been made to choose between his curiosities and the fame of Rossini--will it be believed?--Pons would have pronounced for his beloved collection.

Pons was of the opinion of Chenavard, the print-collector, who laid it down as an axiom--that you only fully enjoy the pleasure of looking at your Ruysdael, Hobbema, Holbein, Raphael, Murillo, Greuze, Sebastian del Piombo, Giorgione, Albrecht Durer, or what not, when you have paid less than sixty francs for your picture. Pons never gave more than ahundred francs for any purchase. If he laid out as much as fifty francs, he was careful to assure himself beforehand that the object was worth three thousand. The most beautiful thing in the world, if it cost three hundred francs, did not exist for Pons. Rare had been his bargains; but he possessed the three qualifications for success--a stag's legs, an idler's disregard of time, and the patience of a Jew. This system, carried out for forty years, in Rome or Paris alike, had borne its fruits. Since Pons returned from Italy, he had regularly spent about two thousand francs a year upon a collection of masterpieces of every sort and description, a collection hidden away from all eyes but his own; and now his catalogue had reached the incredible number of 1907. Wandering about Paris between 1811 and 1816, he had picked up many a treasure for ten francs, which would fetch a thousand or twelve hundred to-day. Some forty-five thousand canvases change hands annually in Paris picture sales, and these Pons had sifted through year by year.

[...]

Pons had begun by collecting snuff-boxes and miniatures; his name was unknown in bric-a-bracology, for he seldom showed himself in salesrooms or in the shops of well-known dealers; Pons was not aware that his treasures had any commercial value." (Le Cousin Pons)³

Clearly, Pons acknownledges the monetary value of his collections though it may not be his principal target in the habit (in the novel also is described that he's quickly pretty aware from the greedy hands reaching for his testament). But, as well the collector seems to some level resemble the more archaic attitude towards objects and buying of them. He is not necessary aware of their exact value and not interested in profit making, but purchases in bargain prices also make part of the exitement in the hobby. Collecting may (for Pons) be a personal enterprise, but it has a social motive. And this perhaps underlines the nature of collecting very well; it sort of makes an 'borderline case' where these objects are freed from the common consumerist circle (new – valued / used – less valued / old – worthless) that keeps the stuff in strickt discipline, devoid from any other values (but not necessary all collecting is as tied to the financial /monetary values as our example here, art collecting. Many collections of objects are not generally valued worth any remarkable sums of money). Therefore, the collector and main character in the story here (Pons) is also some kind of border-line case; he's in-between the past world and current times, and that also emphasizes his being sort of a peculiarity in social circles.

So, we could (perhaps) interpret those collections as some kind of 'ticket' he hopes to achieve for himself– to gain an acceptance in circles of the upper class of the time, dances and celebrations their most obvious expressions. To some level it also perhaps matches with Balzac's bitter despise on the raise of the bourgeousie life-styles, intensifyingly in formation during early 19th century and imitating the aristocracy's manners of life in their outer appearances.

But, it would be reducing the total scope and complete thematics in this novel if we limited this discussion to just collectorial thematics. It's also a well developed (in spite of occasional weaknesses in plot) novel from the human greed, presented with rather naturalistic descriptions. Though almost all Balzac's characters (in La Commédie Humaine) are rather plain in description, they seem to bring in extreme the certain specialities typical for the individual (human). His special form of realism, say it's just Balzaccerian kind, is also acknownledged as having widened the 'gallery' of typical characters in classic literature of the time (as well as affected for the social range of literary heroes to use) and significantly contributed fx in the making novel a dominant form of 19^th century literature.⁴ So, those little simplified side-persons and their actions, exaggerated but not at all to proportions unbelievable, play large part in this hilarious novel from that ever-so timeless topic.

It's of course more or less pessimistic depictorial/drama. But, one gets the feeling that Balzac's opinion from Pons (as well as from some other characters) is rather more warmer than from the people hoping to benefit from mans testament (his collection of art and bric-a-brac). All in all, one might say, the exaggeration and slight caricatures of characterization of course only underline the human greed presented in their typical actions in that drama. The repulsive plan and action carried out by those side-characters are underlined with certain hilarious tone in narritive, also present in many of Balzacs other writings too. And so, we might perhaps say that though the novel lacks some finishing touches in narration and personnel, it more than succeeds in it's rude descriptions from these aspects of life. (Balzac's realism contains at the same time some naturalistic part but also certain idealization as well, not favoring either. As said before, he's often basically just curious from the human kind).

Likewise, we notice that Balzac's main strenghts rest on his capability to draw delicate (not boring) stories from almost anything in life. As well, these descriptions from the collector character – actually only small part in the whole of it - are among the earliest presented in modern literature and also suffice to give us a reason to include it in our series.

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^Notes:

^{1. Histoire de la grandeur et de la décadence de César Birotteau – like the complete name for the novel is (p. 1837).}

^{2. McCracken, G. , Culture and Consumption. New approaches to the Symbolic Character of Consumer Goods and Activities (1988). McCracken's consumption study begins with an examples from this kind of object-relationships where old furniture and other things are interpeted as containing some 'mnemonic value' that strenghtens the relation to past times and personnel and where their 'ownership' is mainly a way for keeping alive the memory from the ancestors in family lineage.}

^{3. Quote from Project Gutenberg Online Book Catalogue (plain-txt edition). Balzac's narrative (which, at least partly tempts to be interpreted as author's own words from the pleasures of collecting) also states: ”Pons had received many objects by trade, which is among the pleasures of the collector. Owning the rare objects gives less joy than trading them.”}

^{4. In addition to some perhaps older archetypical characters like the miser and the abandoned lover, these personifications also include the philistine, the shady dealer, the erotomaniac, arch-crook, genius-inventor, philanthropist, etc (presented in various novels of La Comédie Humaine). Also it's said for Balzac's praise that his fictional world closely resembles the real world of his own days, as presenting the fragmentariness of the ordinary life in these (dis)appearing and reappearing characters. (Answers.com → French literature companion ) ...And we don't disagree, many from these (characters) are quite easy to imagine in existence, especially as most are described only by general appearance, and not too much detaily.}