O de Balzac Gobsec summary. Foreign literature abbreviated

The lawyer Derville tells the story of the moneylender Gobsek in the salon of the Viscountess de Granlier, one of the most noble and wealthy ladies in the aristocratic Faubourg Saint-Germain. One day in the winter of 1829/30, two guests stayed with her: the young handsome Count Ernest de Resto and Derville, who was easily accepted only because he helped the owner of the house return property confiscated during the Revolution.

When Ernest leaves, the Viscountess reprimands her daughter Camilla: one should not so openly show affection to the dear count, because not a single decent family would agree to become related to him because of his mother. Although now she behaves impeccably, she caused a lot of gossip in her youth. In addition, she is of low origin - her father was the grain merchant Goriot. But the worst thing is that she squandered a fortune on her lover, leaving her children penniless. Count Ernest de Resto is poor, and therefore not a match for Camille de Granlier.

Derville, who sympathizes with the lovers, intervenes in the conversation, wanting to explain to the Viscountess the true state of affairs. He starts from afar: during his student years he had to live in a cheap boarding house - there he met Gobsek. Even then he was a deep old man of very remarkable appearance - with a “moon-like face”, yellow, like a ferret’s eyes, a sharp long nose and thin lips. His victims sometimes lost their temper, cried or threatened, but the moneylender himself always kept his cool - he was a “bill man,” a “golden idol.” Of all his neighbors, he maintained relations only with Derville, to whom he once revealed the mechanism of his power over people - the world is ruled by gold, and the moneylender owns gold. For edification, he talks about how he collected a debt from one noble lady - fearing exposure, this countess without hesitation handed him a diamond, because her lover received the money on her bill. Gobsek guessed the future of the countess from the face of the blond handsome man - this dandy, spendthrift and gambler is capable of ruining the whole family.

After completing a law course, Derville received the position of senior clerk in a solicitor's office. In the winter of 1818/19, he was forced to sell his patent - and asked one hundred and fifty thousand francs for it. Gobsek lent money to the young neighbor, taking from him “out of friendship” only thirteen percent - usually he took at least fifty. At the cost of hard work, Derville managed to get out of debt in five years.

One day, the brilliant dandy Count Maxime de Tray begged Derville to introduce him to Gobsek, but the moneylender flatly refused to give a loan to a man who had three hundred thousand in debt and not a centime to his name. At that moment, a carriage drove up to the house, Count de Tray rushed to the exit and returned with an unusually beautiful lady - from the description, Derville immediately recognized her as the countess who had issued the bill four years ago. This time she pledged magnificent diamonds. Derville tried to prevent the deal, but as soon as Maxim hinted that he was going to commit suicide, the unfortunate woman agreed to the enslaving terms of the loan.

After the lovers left, the Countess's husband burst into Gobsek's house demanding the return of the mortgage - his wife had no right to dispose of the family jewels. Derville managed to settle the matter peacefully, and the grateful moneylender gave the count advice: transferring all his property to a reliable friend through a fictitious sale transaction is the only way to save at least his children from ruin. A few days later the count came to Derville to find out what he thought about Gobsek. The solicitor replied that in the event of an untimely death, he would not be afraid to make Gobsek the guardian of his children, for in this miser and philosopher there live two beings - the vile and the sublime. The Count immediately decided to transfer all rights to the property to Gobsek, wanting to protect him from his wife and her greedy lover.

Taking advantage of the pause in the conversation, the Viscountess sends her daughter to bed - a virtuous girl has no need to know to what extent a woman can fall if she transgresses known boundaries. After Camilla leaves, there is no need to hide names anymore - the story is about Countess de Resto. Derville, having never received a counter-receipt about the fictitiousness of the transaction, learns that Count de Resto is seriously ill. The Countess, sensing a catch, does everything to prevent the lawyer from seeing her husband. The denouement comes in December 1824. By this time, the countess had already become convinced of the meanness of Maxime de Tray and broke up with him. She cares so zealously for her dying husband that many are inclined to forgive her for her past sins - in fact, she, like a predatory beast, lies in wait for her prey. The Count, unable to get a meeting with Derville, wants to hand over the documents to his eldest son - but his wife cuts off this path for him, trying to influence the boy with affection. In the last terrible scene, the Countess begs for forgiveness, but the Count remains adamant. That same night he dies, and the next day Gobsek and Derville appear in the house. A terrible sight appears before their eyes: in search of a will, the countess wreaked havoc in the office, not even ashamed of the dead. Hearing the steps of strangers, she throws papers addressed to Derville into the fire - the count’s property thereby becomes the undivided possession of Gobsek.

The moneylender rented out the mansion, and began to spend the summer like a lord - in his new estates. To all Derville’s pleas to take pity on the repentant countess and her children, he answered that misfortune is the best teacher. Let Ernest de Resto know the value of people and money - then it will be possible to return his fortune. Having learned about the love of Ernest and Camilla, Derville once again went to Gobsek and found the old man near death. The old miser bequeathed all his wealth to his sister’s great-granddaughter, a public girl nicknamed “Ogonyok.” He instructed his executor Derville to dispose of the accumulated food supplies - and the lawyer actually discovered huge reserves of rotten pate, moldy fish, and rotten coffee. Towards the end of his life, Gobsek's stinginess turned into mania - he did not sell anything, fearing to sell it too cheap. In conclusion, Derville reports that Ernest de Resto will soon regain his lost fortune. The Viscountess replies that the young count must be very rich - only in this case can he marry Mademoiselle de Granlier. However, Camilla is not at all obliged to meet with her mother-in-law, although the Countess is not barred from entering the receptions - after all, she was received at Madame de Beauseant’s house.

One day, two guests who did not belong to her family stayed in Viscountess Granlier’s salon until one in the morning. One of them is the young Count Ernest de Resto, the second is the lawyer Derville, who was married to a family friend because he once helped the Viscountess return money and property lost during the revolution. Noticing that her daughter Camila treats Ernest de Resto with favor, the Viscountess, as soon as the count left, severely reproaches her and reminds her that the count’s mother is not accepted in any decent house, while she is alive, none of the parents will trust the Count de Resto future and dowry for his daughter. Solicitor Derville has long guessed about Camila's feelings for Ernest de Resto; he intervenes in the conversation between the Viscountess and her daughter and asks permission to tell a story that, in his opinion, can change the view of Comte de Resto in refined society.

The story that Derville tells began a long time ago, when he was very young. At that time, Derville was a junior scribe in the solicitor's office, studied law and lived in a cheap boarding house, where the moneylender Gobsek also lived. Derville conveys his impressions of Gobsek’s appearance and character. The yellowish pallor of his skin resembled silver from which the gilding had peeled off, his hair was ash-gray, his facial features, motionless and indifferent, seemed to be cast from bronze, his yellow eyes, like those of a ferret, were hiding from the bright light. The nose was sharp, like a gimlet, and the lips were thin. He never lost his peace of mind, even when his clients begged, cried, threatened, he remained calm and spoke quietly. It was difficult to guess his age: either he had aged beforehand, or in his old age he looked young. Everything in his house was neat and worn, like in an old maid's room. Describing Gobsek, Derville calls him an automaton man, a bill man who oppresses any feelings within himself. His life seemed to flow quietly, like sand in an old hourglass. Gobsek was very careful, and no one knew whether he was poor or rich. One day a gold coin fell out of his pocket. The Tenant, who was following him down the stairs, picked it up and gave it to Gobsek, but he did not take the lost one because he did not want to admit that he might have that kind of money. The moneylender lived alone and maintained relations only with Derville, to whom he revealed his innermost thoughts about the world and people. Subsequently, Derville learned that Gobseck was born in Holland; at the age of ten, his mother gave him as a cabin boy on a ship that sailed to India, where he wandered for twenty years. He sought to get rich, and fate threw him around the world in search of wealth on all continents. He knew many famous people of his time, was involved in many historical events, but didn’t like to talk about it. One day Gobsek explained to Derville his life “philosophy”: gold rules the world, and the moneylender owns gold, so he has secret power over people. As it turned out, Gobsek amuses himself by studying human passions and rejoices in his power over them. As an instructive example, he gives the stories of two bills for which he received money that day. One was paid for at a certain time by the seamstress Fanny Malvo, a hardworking and respectable girl who aroused sympathy even from the moneylender. The second bill was signed by one countess, and her lover received the money. Gobsek comes to the Countess, but he is informed that she is still sleeping and will not wake up before twelve o’clock, because she was at the ball all night. The moneylender calls his last name and tells the countess that he will come by later. At noon, he again, with the countess’s flattering behavior, understands that she has nothing to pay her with. Gobsek notes the beauty of this woman, but does not know sympathy: he warns that he will reveal her secret when she does not pay. During their conversation, the countess's man comes into the room, and she is forced to give Gobsek a diamond in order to get rid of the moneylender. Leaving the countess's house, he met her lover. On his face Gobsek read the countess's future.

Several years passed, Derville completed his law course and received the position of senior clerk in the solicitor's office. Soon he has the opportunity to buy a patent for his cartridge. Gobsek lends Derville money at only thirteen percent (usually he took from fifty to five hundred percent of the debt amount). Derville's conscience and perseverance in work allowed him to pay off the moneylender in five years.

A year after Derville paid for the patent, he was dragged to a bachelor’s breakfast with the aim of introducing him to Monsieur de Tray, famous in high society. The latter asked Derville to reconcile him with Gobsek. But the moneylender refuses to lend money to a man who had nothing but debts. Then de Tray, laughing and returning on his heels, asked if there was still such capital in Paris; this gentleman also boasted that his bills were his. There was something serious in his buffoonery, but she could not stir Gobsek. At this time, the noise of a carriage was heard from the street, stopping at the house, where Tri rushed to the exit, promising to bring an item that would satisfy the moneylender. De Trai returned with a very beautiful woman, and Derville recognized her as the countess about whom Gobsek had told him. The Countess brought wonderful diamonds as collateral. Derville realized the depth of the abyss into which the countess was falling, and tried to dissuade HER from forcing the jewelry, citing the fact that the countess married woman and is subject to man. Gobsek assessed the jewelry and decided to take it as collateral, but, given the legal dubiousness of the case, he offers significantly less money than the real price of the jewelry. The Countess hesitates to enter into an agreement, but Trai hints to her that this is forcing him to die, and she accepts Gobsek's offer. Of the eighty thousand specified in the contract, the moneylender writes a check for only fifty thousand. With an ironic smile, he gives out the rest of the money in bills from Mr. de Tray himself. The young man burst into a roar and called the moneylender an old swindler. Gobsek calmly pulled out a pair of pistols and said that he would shoot first, because Count de Tray had offended him. The Countess begs the Count to apologize to Gobsek. When Gobsek was left alone with Derville, he gave vent to his joy, which was caused by the possession of luxurious diamonds for little money. Watching this, Derville stood in amazement. At this time, hurried steps were heard in the corridor, Gobsek opened the door, so the visitor seemed safe to him. The countess's man came in, he was terribly angry and demanded the return of the deposit, citing the fact that his wife had no right to dispose of these diamonds. Gobsek was almost frightened by his rage and threats to go to court. Derville intervenes in the dispute and explains to the count that by going to court, he will probably receive nothing but shame, since the case is very dubious. The Count agrees to pay eighty percent for the jewelry. Grateful Gobsek gives him advice on how to save the property, preserve it at least for the children. According to Gobsek, all property should be fictitiously sold to a reliable friend.

A few days after this scene, the count came to Derville to ask his opinion about Gobsek’s honesty. Derville replied that in the moneylenders there live two creatures - a miser and a philosopher, mean and high, but if only he, Derville,... threatened with death, he would appoint Gobsek as the guardian of his children. Derville told the count the story of his loan to Gobsek and how, having finally paid off the moneylender, he asked why he did not allow himself to do a good deed disinterestedly, which prompted him to force even his friend to pay huge interest. Gobsek’s answer characterizes him better: this is how he freed Derville from gratitude and gave him the right to believe that he owes nothing to the moneylender. The Count decided to transfer ownership of his property to Gobsek, and to transfer the counter-receipt, which would legally confirm the fictitiousness of the sale, to Derville...

Next, Derville tried to reveal to Camille the terrible abyss into which women can fall as soon as they cross certain boundaries. But the Viscountess blocked the attorney and suggested that her daughter go to bed. The girl understood her mother and left the society. Now those present did not hide the names of the characters in the story of Derville, because everyone guessed that we were talking about Count de Resto and his wife, parents of Ernest de Resto.

Much time passed after this transaction, and Derville never received the receipt that was supposed to be kept by him. He learns that Count de Resto is seriously ill. Derville strives to see the count, but the countess does everything to prevent this. She understands her future well, because at that time all property is in the hands of Gobsek. The Countess already understood the essence of Mr. de Tray and broke off relations with him. She carefully looks after her sick husband, but in reality she is only waiting for the pagoda to take possession of the property, because she feels that there is a secret meaning in her husband’s business with Gobsek. The count wants to see Derville, but, on the orders of the countess, he is informed that the attorney has left. Then the count wants to transfer the receipt to Derville through his son, but the countess uses her influence on her son and intervenes in the matter. The Count understands that Ernest may not keep his word and will open up to his mother. She begs the Count to forgive her for the sake of the children, but the Count is inexorable. The Count dies, and the next morning Derville and Gobsek come. The Countess has locked herself in the Count's room and does not allow anyone to enter there. Seeing strangers, Ernest warns his mother. When the solicitor and moneylender entered the room where the dead man lay, they were horrified: everything was turned upside down, there was terrible disorder in the room, and documents were burning in the fireplace, which should be handed over to Derville. Gobsek took advantage of the crime committed by the countess and appropriated the count's property.

Since then, Derville and the moneylender rarely saw each other. Gobsek rented out the count's mansion, spent the summer on his estate, pretended to be a nobleman, built farms, and repaired mills. One day, the solicitor tried to persuade Gobsek to help Ernest, but the moneylender replied that misfortune is the best teacher, let the young count learn the value of money and people, let us sail on the Parisian sea, when he becomes a skilled pilot, then we will give him a ship. Having learned about Ernest's love for Camila, Derville made another attempt to influence the old moneylender and went to him. The old moneylender had long since gone to bed, but did not abandon his business. Not wanting to have neighbors, he rented the entire house for himself, but lived in the same room as before. He put off answering Ernestov's case until he could get up, and he was no longer destined to do so. A few days before, Derville came and reported the death of Gobsek. He left all his wealth to his sister’s great-granddaughter, a prostitute nicknamed the “Electric Stingray” or the Light. He left Derville as an inheritance the food supplies that Gobsek had accumulated over the course of last years, receiving them from their clients. He accepted everything: a basket of fish, a box of candles, dishes, and gold snuff boxes. When Derville opened adjoining rooms, he almost fainted from the stench emanating from rotting goods - fish, pates, coffee, tobacco, tea, etc. Towards the end of his life he did not sell anything because he was afraid to give it away for cheap, so his passion outlived his mind.

Derville also reports that Count Ernest de Restaud will soon be brought into possession of the property, which will allow him to marry the girl Camilla. The Viscountess replies that Ernest would have to be very rich to marry her daughter. The Viscountess's brother notices that the count's family is very old. The sister agrees with him and says that Kamila may not see her mother-in-law, although she is received at receptions.

The lawyer Derville tells the story of the moneylender Gobsek in the salon of the Viscountess de Granlier, one of the most noble and wealthy ladies in the aristocratic Faubourg Saint-Germain. One day in the winter of 1829/30, two guests stayed with her: the handsome young Count Ernest de Resto and Derville, who was easily accepted only because he helped the owner of the house return property confiscated during the Revolution. When Ernest leaves, the Viscountess reprimands her daughter Camilla: one should not so openly show affection to the dear count, because not a single decent family would agree to become related to him because of his mother. Although now she behaves impeccably, she caused a lot of gossip in her youth. In addition, she is of low origin - her father was the grain merchant Goriot. But the worst thing is that she squandered a fortune on her lover, leaving her children penniless. Count Ernest de Resto is poor, and therefore not a match for Camille de Granlier. Derville, who sympathizes with the lovers, intervenes in the conversation, wanting to explain to the Viscountess the true state of affairs. He starts from afar: during his student years he had to live in a cheap boarding house - there he met Gobsek. Even then he was a deep old man of very remarkable appearance - with a “moon-like face”, yellow, ferret-like eyes, a sharp long nose and thin lips. His victims sometimes lost their temper, cried or threatened, but the moneylender himself always kept his cool - he was a “bill man,” a “golden idol.” Of all his neighbors, he maintained relations only with Derville, to whom he once revealed the mechanism of his power over people - the world is ruled by gold, and the moneylender owns gold. For edification, he talks about how he collected a debt from one noble lady - fearing exposure, this countess without hesitation handed him a diamond, because her lover received the money on her bill. Gobsek guessed the future of the countess from the face of the blond handsome man - this dandy, spendthrift and gambler is capable of ruining the whole family.

After completing a law course, Derville received the position of senior clerk in a solicitor's office. In the winter of 1818/19, he was forced to sell his patent - and asked one hundred and fifty thousand francs for it. Gobsek lent money to the young neighbor, taking from him “out of friendship” only thirteen percent - usually he took at least fifty. At the cost of hard work, Derville managed to get out of debt in five years.

One day, the brilliant dandy Count Maxime de Tray begged Derville to introduce him to Gobsek, but the moneylender flatly refused to give a loan to a man who had three hundred thousand in debt and not a centime to his name. At that moment, a carriage drove up to the house, Comte de Tray rushed to the exit and returned with an unusually beautiful lady - from the description, Derville immediately recognized her as the countess who issued the bill four years ago. This time she pledged magnificent diamonds. Derville tried to prevent the deal, but as soon as Maxim hinted that he was going to commit suicide, the unfortunate woman agreed to the enslaving terms of the loan. After the lovers left, the countess’s husband burst into Gobsek’s house demanding the return of the mortgage - his wife had no right to dispose of the family jewels. Derville managed to settle the matter peacefully, and the grateful moneylender gave the count advice: transferring all his property to a trusted friend through a fictitious sale transaction is the only way to save at least his children from ruin. A few days later the count came to Derville to find out what he thought about Gobsek. The solicitor replied that in the event of an untimely death, he would not be afraid to make Gobsek the guardian of his children, for in this miser and philosopher there live two beings - the vile and the sublime. The Count immediately decided to transfer all rights to the property to Gobsek, wanting to protect him from his wife and her greedy lover.

Taking advantage of the pause in the conversation, the Viscountess sends her daughter to bed - a virtuous girl has no need to know to what extent a woman can fall if she transgresses known boundaries. After Camilla leaves, there is no need to hide names anymore - the story is about Countess de Resto. Derville, having never received a counter-receipt about the fictitiousness of the transaction, learns that Count de Resto is seriously ill. The Countess, sensing a catch, does everything to prevent the lawyer from seeing her husband. The denouement comes in December 1824. By this time, the countess had already become convinced of the meanness of Maxime de Tray and broke up with him. She cares so zealously for her dying husband that many are inclined to forgive her for her past sins - but in fact, like a predatory animal, she lies in wait for her prey. The Count, unable to get a meeting with Derville, wants to hand over the documents to his eldest son - but his wife cuts off this path for him, trying to influence the boy with affection. In the last terrible scene, the Countess begs for forgiveness, but the Count remains adamant. That same night he dies, and the next day Gobsek and Derville appear in the house. A terrible sight appears before their eyes: in search of a will, the countess wreaked havoc in the office, not even ashamed of the dead. Hearing the steps of strangers, she throws papers addressed to Derville into the fire - the count’s property thereby becomes the undivided possession of Gobsek. The moneylender rented out the mansion, and began to spend the summer like a lord - in his new estates. To all Derville’s pleas to take pity on the repentant countess and her children, he answered that misfortune is the best teacher. Let Ernest de Resto learn the value of people and money - then it will be possible to return his fortune. Having learned about the love of Ernest and Camilla, Derville once again went to Gobsek and found the old man dying. The old miser bequeathed all his wealth to his sister’s great-granddaughter, a public wench nicknamed “Ogonyok.” He instructed his executor Derville to dispose of the accumulated food supplies - and the lawyer actually discovered huge reserves of rotten pate, moldy fish, and rotten coffee. Towards the end of his life, Gobsek's stinginess turned into mania - he did not sell anything, fearing to sell it too cheap. In conclusion, Derville reports that Ernest de Resto will soon regain his lost fortune. The Viscountess replies that the young count must be very rich - only in this case can he marry Mademoiselle de Granlier. However, Camilla is not at all obliged to meet with her mother-in-law, although the Countess is not barred from entering the receptions - after all, she was received at Madame de Beauseant’s house.

The lawyer Derville tells the story of the moneylender Gobsek in the salon of the Viscountess de Granlier, one of the most noble and wealthy ladies in the aristocratic Faubourg Saint-Germain. One day in the winter of 1829/30, two guests stayed with her: the young handsome Count Ernest de Resto and Derville, who was easily accepted only because he helped the owner of the house return property confiscated during the Revolution.

When Ernest leaves, the Viscountess reprimands her daughter Camilla: one should not so openly show affection to the dear count, because not a single decent family would agree to become related to him because of his mother. Although now she behaves impeccably, she caused a lot of gossip in her youth. In addition, she is of low origin - her father was the grain merchant Goriot. But the worst thing is that she squandered a fortune on her lover, leaving her children penniless. Count Ernest de Resto is poor, and therefore not a match for Camille de Granlier.

Derville, who sympathizes with the lovers, intervenes in the conversation, wanting to explain to the Viscountess the true state of affairs. He starts from afar: during his student years he had to live in a cheap boarding house - there he met Gobsek. Even then he was a deep old man of very remarkable appearance - with a “moon-like face”, yellow, like a ferret’s eyes, a sharp long nose and thin lips. His victims sometimes lost their temper, cried or threatened, but the moneylender himself always kept his cool - he was a “bill man,” a “golden idol.” Of all his neighbors, he maintained relations only with Derville, to whom he once revealed the mechanism of his power over people - the world is ruled by gold, and the moneylender owns gold. For edification, he talks about how he collected a debt from one noble lady - fearing exposure, this countess without hesitation handed him a diamond, because her lover received the money on her bill. Gobsek guessed the countess's future from the face of the blond handsome man - this dandy, spendthrift and gambler is capable of ruining the whole family.

After completing a law course, Derville received the position of senior clerk in a solicitor's office. In the winter of 1818/19, he was forced to sell his patent - and asked one hundred and fifty thousand francs for it. Gobsek lent money to the young neighbor, taking from him “out of friendship” only thirteen percent - usually he took at least fifty. At the cost of hard work, Derville managed to get out of debt in five years.

One day, the brilliant dandy Count Maxime de Tray begged Derville to introduce him to Gobsek, but the moneylender flatly refused to give a loan to a man who had three hundred thousand in debt and not a centime to his name. At that moment, a carriage drove up to the house, Count de Tray rushed to the exit and returned with an unusually beautiful lady - from the description, Derville immediately recognized her as the countess who had issued the bill four years ago. This time she pledged magnificent diamonds. Derville tried to prevent the deal, but as soon as Maxim hinted that he was going to commit suicide, the unfortunate woman agreed to the enslaving terms of the loan.

After the lovers left, the Countess's husband burst into Gobsek's house demanding the return of the mortgage - his wife had no right to dispose of the family jewels. Derville succeeded -

To settle the matter peacefully, the grateful moneylender gave the count advice: transferring all his property to a reliable friend through a fictitious sale transaction is the only way to save at least his children from ruin. A few days later the count came to Derville to find out what he thought about Gobsek. The solicitor replied that in the event of an untimely death, he would not be afraid to make Gobsek the guardian of his children, for in this miser and philosopher there live two beings - the vile and the sublime. The Count immediately decided to transfer all rights to the property to Gobsek, wanting to protect him from his wife and her greedy lover.

Taking advantage of the pause in the conversation, the Viscountess sends her daughter to bed - a virtuous girl has no need to know to what extent a woman can fall if she transgresses known boundaries. After Camilla leaves, there is no need to hide names anymore - the story is about Countess de Resto. Derville, having never received a counter-receipt about the fictitiousness of the transaction, learns that Count de Resto is seriously ill. The Countess, sensing a catch, does everything to prevent the lawyer from seeing her husband. The denouement comes in December 1824. By this time, the countess had already become convinced of the meanness of Maxime de Tray and broke up with him. She cares so zealously for her dying husband that many are inclined to forgive her for her past sins - in fact, she, like a predatory beast, lies in wait for her prey. The Count, unable to get a meeting with Derville, wants to hand over the documents to his eldest son - but his wife cuts off this path for him, trying to influence the boy with affection. In the last terrible scene, the Countess begs for forgiveness, but the Count remains adamant. That same night he dies, and the next day Gobsek and Derville appear in the house. A terrible sight appears before their eyes: in search of a will, the countess wreaked havoc in the office, not even ashamed of the dead. Hearing the steps of strangers, she throws papers addressed to Derville into the fire - the count’s property thereby becomes the undivided possession of Gobsek

The moneylender rented out the mansion, and began to spend the summer like a lord - in his new estates. To all Derville’s pleas to take pity on the repentant countess and her children, he answered that misfortune is the best teacher. Let Ernest de Resto know the value of people and money - then it will be possible to return his fortune. Having learned about the love of Ernest and Camilla, Derville once again went to Gobsek and found the old man dying. The old miser bequeathed all his wealth to his sister’s great-granddaughter, a public wench nicknamed “Ogonyok.” He instructed his executor Derville to dispose of the accumulated food supplies - and the lawyer actually discovered huge reserves of rotten pate, moldy fish, and rotten coffee. Towards the end of his life, Gobsek's stinginess turned into mania - he did not sell anything, fearing to sell it too cheap. In conclusion, Derville reports that Ernest de Resto will soon regain his lost fortune. The Viscountess replies that the young count must be very rich - only in this case can he marry Mademoiselle de Granlier. However, Camilla is not at all obliged to meet with her mother-in-law, although the Countess is not barred from entering the receptions - after all, she was received at Madame de Beauseant’s house.

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Honore de Balzac is the greatest French writer who, during his lifetime, was able to earn fame as one of the most talented prose writers of the 19th century. The writer's works became a real innovation in literary life Europe.

Balzac became the first author who moved away from the subjective assessment of personality, embodying in his heroes all the shortcomings and advantages that were inherent in society, and not in an individual. One of Balzac’s most famous works, which has been loved by many generations of readers, is the story “Gobsek”.

Summary and Analysis

The story begins from a conversation that takes place in the salon of a noble Parisian lady, Viscountess de Granlier. The Viscountess does not want to give her only daughter in marriage to the impoverished Comte de Resto. Her guest, lawyer Derville, tries to convince the lady by telling her the story of how exactly her future son-in-law lost his wealth.

Main actor in Derville's story, the moneylender Gobsek, because of whose greed the de Resto family suffered. Derville met Gobsek while being an assistant lawyer; they lived next door in one of the boarding houses in Paris.

The moneylender shunned communication with people, as he was completely absorbed in making money, which was his main priority in life. Gobsek's greed allowed him to accumulate impressive capital by the age of forty.

The moneylender openly deceived people, lending them money at high interest rates, and profited from their hopeless life situations.

Despite friendship and close communication, Derville also fell into the ranks of deceived debtors. To a young man It was only after five years that he was able to pay the interest that Gobsek set for him.

A well-known reveler in Paris approached Gobsek with a request to borrow money. card player- Comte de Tray. The moneylender stubbornly refused him, because he was not sure of his ability to pay. His beloved, Countess de Resto, came to the rescue of de Tray, who offered Gobsek a pledge as her husband’s family estate.

Having taken a receipt from the Countess, Gobsek provided her lover with the required amount of money. However, a few days later, the husband of the countess herself came to him, demanding that he return the receipt that his wife had illegally given back. Gobsek, in turn, begins to blackmail the count, demanding to pay for the return of the document an amount several times greater than the loan.

Count de Resto had no choice but to agree to Gobsek’s terms and buy his estate from him. A few years later, Count de Resto dies. His wife, remembering that after the death of the count all the family property should pass into the hands of Gobsek, begins to look for a will. While searching for her, Gobsek and Derville enter the room.

The frightened countess mixed up the documents and threw Gobsek's receipt into the fire, in which he renounces the count's property. Thus, the family estate passed into the hands of the moneylender. Derville convinced Gobsek to renounce his claims to the estate, trying to pity him by the fact that the countess and young son (the younger Count de Resto) were left with nothing. However, our moneylender remained adamant.

Until his last days, Gobsek remained greedy and cruel, counting every penny, he denied himself the most necessary things. The moneylender preferred to rent out even the mansion of the de Resto family, receiving money for it.