Publisher's Synopsis
The Magic Skin is a novel written by Honore De Balzac, a French author, and published in 1831. The story revolves around a young man named Raphael de Valentin, who is dissatisfied with his life and desires wealth and power. One day, he comes across a magical piece of skin that promises to grant him his every wish.As Raphael begins to use the skin, he realizes that it comes with a terrible price. For every wish that is granted, the skin shrinks and withers away, taking years off his life. Despite this, Raphael continues to use the skin, becoming more and more obsessed with his desires and the power it brings him.As the story progresses, Raphael's life spirals out of control, and he becomes increasingly isolated from those around him. He begins to see the true cost of his actions and the damage he has caused to himself and those he loves.The Magic Skin is a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and the pursuit of power. It explores themes of morality, temptation, and the consequences of our actions. Balzac's writing is rich and detailed, painting a vivid picture of 19th-century Parisian society and the struggles of its inhabitants. The novel is a classic of French literature and a must-read for anyone interested in the works of Balzac or the Romantic era.""The devil take you!"" said Raphael. ""How are you to enter into my feelings if I do not relate the facts that insensibly shaped my character, made me timid, and prolonged the period of youthful simplicity? In this manner I cowered under as strict a despotism as a monarch's till I came of age. To depict the tedium of my life, it will be perhaps enough to portray my father to you.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.