I have rated this 3*** based on the actual Balzac content, quite early works. Les Chouans was in fact his "first" novel, preceded only by a couple or so potboilers that he would as soon have forgotten, and influenced by Walter Scott; and I rated it 2½**, along with 2** for its accompanying story Le Réquisitionnaire trans The Conscript 2**.

La peau de chagrin, trans The Wild Ass' Hide 3½***, is a novel of magical realism. Perhaps it's not entirely what we would associate with Balzac, but it's still very good. The concept is brilliant, with my only complaint being that it tends toward a bit too much run-on narration told not as narration but as extended dialogue between the characters. Still it's excellent for an early Balzacian work. 3½*** also to the accompanying story L'Elixir de longue vie, trans The Elixir of Life for its closing humor. Just 2** to the accompanying Étude de femme, trans A Study of Woman, interesting only for an early Rastignac.

Averaging out to 3***. This edition, however, is one of seventeen in the Centenary Balzac, published in 1899 by Gebbie of Philadelphia, with translations by the highly regarded Ellen Marriage. It seems that a Centenary edition was published by Dent in 34 volumes deluxe, which were then consolidated into seventeen two-in-ones which I have. I highly recommend this seventeen-volume Centenary edition 5***** if you are able get hold of it (I found my copies in two adjacent used-book stores at a combined price of <$100 for all seventeen) and you are inspired to do a Balzac read-a-thon. I'm not sure, though, if this Centenary edition is truly complete, though it's certainly a great start. ( )