Honor de Balzac, original name Honor Balssa, (born May 20, 1799, Tours, France-died August 18, 1850, Paris), French literary artist who produced a vast number of novels and short stories collectively called La Com die humaine (The Human Comedy). He helped to establish the traditional form of the novel and is generally considered to be one of the greatest novelists of all time. Le P re Goriot, (French: "Father Goriot") novel by Honor de Balzac,...