Page "Honoré de Balzac" Paragraph 63

Balzac was a highly conservative Royalist ; in many ways, he is the antipode to Victor Hugo's democratic republicanism.

Nevertheless, his keen insight regarding working-class conditions earned him the esteem of many Socialists and Marxists.

Engels said that Balzac was his favorite writer.

Marx's work Das Kapital also makes constant reference to the works of Balzac and urged Engels to read Balzac's work The Unknown Masterpiece.