Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
The Country Doctor - cover

The Country Doctor

Honoré de Balzac

Translator Clara Bell, Ellen Marriage

Publisher: DigiCat

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

In 'The Country Doctor,' Honoré de Balzac delves into the life and struggles of a rural physician, Dr. Roubaud, who embodies the moral dilemmas and ethical challenges faced by medical practitioners in the 19th century. Balzac's narrative is rich with detailed descriptions and psychological insights, illustrating the stark contrast between urban and rural life. The novel employs a realist style, showcasing not only personal drama but also the socio-economic conditions of the time, reflecting broader themes of sacrifice and moral responsibility within the framework of human compassion. Honoré de Balzac, a prolific French novelist and playwright, is renowned for his series 'La Comédie Humaine,' where he entwines the lives of his characters to paint a vivid picture of society. His acute observations of human behavior and societal dynamics were influenced by his extensive experiences in various professions, coupled with his own health struggles. 'The Country Doctor' serves as a microcosm of his broader literary endeavor to explore the interplay of individual morality and societal expectations. This novel is a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersection of medicine and ethics, as well as the societal shifts of 19th-century France. Balzac's profound character development and insightful commentary make 'The Country Doctor' an essential work for both literary scholars and general readers seeking to understand the complexities of human nature and the medical profession.
Available since: 09/04/2022.
Print length: 241 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • The Green Fairy Book - cover

    The Green Fairy Book

    Andrew Lang

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    In The Green Fairy Book, Andrew Lang continues his celebrated work of gathering fairy tales from many nations into one collection, preserving stories that have delighted generations and offering them anew to young readers—and to all who value the enduring charm of folklore. This volume, the third in Lang’s famous “Coloured” Fairy Book series, draws its tales from an especially wide array of sources: French, German, Russian, Italian, Scottish, and even oral traditions from tribal cultures such as the Zulus of South Africa. 
    Lang, though a scholar of history and literature, held a deep affection for the fairy tale. In his original introduction, he writes, “The fairy tale is the oldest form of fiction, and it may be the most enduring.” He believed that fairy tales served not only to entertain but to cultivate imagination, to sharpen a child’s sense of wonder, and to subtly shape moral understanding. Though some may dismiss such tales as fanciful or outdated, Lang insisted that they contain “a kind of poetry and fun which children appreciate more than people suppose.” 
    Not all of the stories have the neat, happy endings we have come to expect from the sanitised versions of Fairy Tales in the 20th Century, and quite a few have their macabre and bloodthirsty moments! 
    Head Stories Audio presents "The Green Fairy Book" by Andrew Lang.  Narration and original music by Simon Hester.
    Show book
  • 50 Great Russian Short Stories - Notes From The Underground The Death Of Ivan Ilyich The Lady With The Dog First Love The Mantle The Queen Of Spades The Embroidered Towel And Others Stories - cover

    50 Great Russian Short Stories -...

    Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Leo Tolstoy,...

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    The collection includes the best works of famous Russian writers:
    Fyodor Dostoevsky
    NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND
    THE DREAM OF A RIDICULOUS MAN
    THE BEGGAR BOY AT CHRIST'S CHRISTMAS TREE
     
    Leo Tolstoy
    THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH
    A LETTER TO A HINDU
    A CONFESSION
    GOD SEES THE TRUTH, BUT WAITS
    A RUSSIAN CHRISTMAS PARTY
     
    Anton Chekhov
    THE LADY WITH THE DOG
    A SLANDER
    THE HORSE-STEALERS
    THE PETCHENYEG
    A DEAD BODY
    A HAPPY ENDING
    THE LOOKING-GLASS
    OLD AGE
    DARKNESS
    THE BEGGAR
    IN TROUBLE
    FROST
    MINDS IN FERMENT
    GONE ASTRAY
    AN AVENGER
    THE JEUNE PREMIER
    A DEFENCELESS CREATURE
    AN ENIGMATIC NATURE
    A HAPPY MAN
    A TROUBLESOME VISITOR
    AN ACTOR'S END
    A STORY WITHOUT A TITLE
    VANKA
     
    Ivan Turgenev
    FIRST LOVE
    THE DISTRICT DOCTOR
    MUMU
     
    Nikolay Gogol
    THE MANTLE
    MEMOIRS OF A MADMAN
    THE NOSE
    A MAY NIGHT
    THE CLOAK
    THE VIY
    CHRISTMAS EVE
    THE VIY
     
    Alexsandr Pushkin
    THE QUEEN OF SPADES
     
    Maxim Gorky
    ONE AUTUMN NIGHT
    HER LOVER
     
    Leonid Andreyev
    LAZARUS
    THE LITTLE ANGEL
     
    Aleksandr Kuprin
    THE OUTRAGE
     
    Mikhail Bulgakov
    THE EMBROIDERED TOWEL
     
    Ivan Bunin
    THE GENTLEMAN FROM SAN FRANCISCO
     
    Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin
    HOW A MUZHIK FED TWO OFFICIALS
    Show book
  • Treasure Island (Part 5: My Sea Adventure) - cover

    Treasure Island (Part 5: My Sea...

    Robert Louis Stevenson

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Part 5: My Sea Adventure from Treasure Island:
    "For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From the moment young Jim Hawkins first encounters the sinister Blind Pew at the Admiral Benbow Inn until the climactic battle for treasure on a tropic isle, the novel creates scenes and characters that have fired the imaginations of generations of readers. Written by a superb prose stylist, a master of both action and atmosphere, the story centers upon the conflict between good and evil - but in this case a particularly engaging form of evil. It is the villainy of that most ambiguous rogue Long John Silver that sets the tempo of this tale of treachery, greed, and daring. Designed to forever kindle a dream of high romance and distant horizons, Treasure Island is, in the words of G. K. Chesterton, 'the realization of an ideal, that which is promised in its provocative and beckoning map; a vision not only of white skeletons but also green palm trees and sapphire seas.' G. S. Fraser terms it 'an utterly original book' and goes on to write: 'There will always be a place for stories like Treasure Island that can keep boys and old men happy.'
    Show book
  • Blue & Green - From their pens to your ears genius in every story - cover

    Blue & Green - From their pens...

    Virginia Woolf

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Adeline Virginia Woolf was born on the 25th January 1882 in South Kensington in London. 
    Although lauded as a founder of modernist writing with such classics as ‘Orlando’, ‘Mrs Dalloway’ and ‘To the Lighthouse’ and, of course, many classic short stories, her background is filled with elements of tragedy that she somehow overcame to become such a revered writer.   Her mother died when she was 13, her half-sister Stella two years later and with it her first of several nervous breakdowns.  Appallingly it was later found that three of her half-brothers had sexually abused her so darkness must have seemed ever present.   
    She began writing professionally at age 20 but her father’s death two years later brought a complete mental collapse and she was briefly institutionalised.  Somehow she found within herself a literary career and with it great innovations in writing; she was a pioneer of “stream of consciousness”.    
    Her tight circle of friends were the founders of the Bloomsbury Group, a movement whose legacy still influences across the arts and society in many way to this day.   
    Whilst the dark periods continued to interrupt her emotional state her rate of work never ceased.  Until, on 28th March 1941, Woolf put on her overcoat, filled up its pockets with stones, and walked into the River Ouse, in Lewes, East Sussex and drowned herself.  Her body was not recovered until the 18th April.  She was 59. 
    She left behind a note which read in part “Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again.  I feel we can't go through another of those terrible times.  And I shan't recover this time.  I begin to hear voices, and I can't concentrate.  So I am doing what seems the best thing to do”.
    Show book
  • The Spectacles - cover

    The Spectacles

    Sampi Books, Edgar Allan Poe

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Spectacles", a vain young man, neglecting his need for glasses, falls in love at first sight. He later discovers that the woman he has fallen in love with is his great-grandmother, revealing a biting irony about perception and reality.
    Show book
  • The Curious Republic of Gondour and Other Whimsical Sketches - cover

    The Curious Republic of Gondour...

    Mark Twain

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    "The Curious Republic of Gondour and Other Whimsical Sketches, written by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), is a delightful collection of fanciful and eccentric works. These whimsical sketches cover a range of topics, from political commentary to our species' desire to be remembered in some way. Let's explore this curious republic: Support Us at https://manifoldmedia.net/donate    The Curious Republic of Gondour:  As soon as I had learned to speak the language a little, I became greatly interested in the people and the system of government.  The nation had initially tried universal suffrage, but the result was unsatisfactory. It seemed to deliver all power into the hands of the ignorant and non-tax-paying classes.  A remedy was sought, and an ingenious idea emerged: not to destroy universal suffrage but to enlarge it selectively.  An amendatory clause was inserted, allowing the suffrage to be enlarged in certain cases specified by statute.  Property, character, and intellect wielded political influence for the first time, and the best men in the nation became candidates for parliament.  Money, virtue, and intelligence united to shape the political landscape .  Other Whimsical Sketches:  The collection also includes various other sketches, each with its own twist of humor, satire, or imaginative exploration.  From memories and reminiscences to royal compliments and wild interviews, Twain's wit shines through .  The Curious Republic of Gondour and Other Whimsical Sketches invites readers to step into a world where absurdity meets astute observation. Whether you seek political commentary or flights of fancy, Twain's pen weaves a delightful tapestry of imagination and wit "  Support Us at https://manifoldmedia.net/donate
    Show book