Gobseck

The lawyer Derville recalls his acquaintance with Gobseck, a Parisian moneylender whose unassuming appearance conceals considerable power. His dealings with the de Restaud family reveal a household threatened by debts, a destructive love affair and anxiety over inheritance. In this novella from The Human Comedy, Balzac examines the influence of money through one man’s habits and convictions. Gobseck believes wealth offers security beyond human feeling, while Derville’s account exposes the personal cost of that belief.