Reading Groups

Honoré de Balzac's Cousin Bette with Lise Schreier

5 Sessions Tuesdays, 6:00 pm EDT - 7:30 pm EDT October 8 to December 3, 2024

The Center for Fiction

The ‘With Book’ option includes the title required for this group at a 10% discount from our Bookstore.

Meeting Dates:
10/8, 10/22, 11/5, 11/19, 12/3
In Person at The Center for Fiction

Ready for an extraordinary tale of seduction, revenge, and scandal set in 19th-century Paris? Curious to discover one of the most famous villains of French literature? Meet Cousin Bette, an unassuming spinster living in the shadow of her wealthy cousins. Don’t be deceived by her humble appearance: Bette is a master of manipulation determined to bring down her relatives by any means necessary—and bring them down she does, one by one…

Whether you are new to Honoré de Balzac or already familiar with his intricate world, extravagant plot twists, and dark sense of humor, this classic novel of ambition and immorality will captivate you. If you enjoy dissecting complex characters, love stories where everyone has a secret and no one is quite as respectable as they seem, or you’d like to read and discuss a masterpiece of French literature, this reading group is for you.

What to read in advance of the first meeting: Chapters 1-18 of Cousin Bette by Honoré de Balzac

What to expect from this reading group: The course will be mostly conversational with occasional pauses in the discussion for context and clarity from the group leader.

Capacity: 20

Led by

Lise Schreier

Lise Schreier

Dr. Lise-Ségolène Schreier is Professor of French and Comparative Literature and Chair of the Languages and Cultures Department at Fordham University. Her publications have drawn on diverse material such as feminist newspapers, medical travelogs, fashion plates, colonial-era children’s literature, vaudeville theater and early comics. At Fordham, she teaches courses on the nineteenth-century French novel, francophone literature and contemporary fiction writing.

About this series

Reading Groups

Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

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