Father Goriot

Father Goriot is a powerful novel about ambition, family devotion, money, and social climbing in nineteenth-century Paris. The story centers on the aging Goriot, who sacrifices his fortune and happiness for his two daughters, even as they grow increasingly distant from him. Alongside his tragedy, the young Eugène de Rastignac tries to enter fashionable Parisian society and discovers the harsh realities of wealth, influence, and personal ambition. Through these intertwined lives, Balzac presents a sharp portrait of a society shaped by status and self-interest. The novel remains one of his most important works and a major classic of French literature.