Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 - 18 August 1850) was a French novelist and playwright. He is regarded as one of the founders of realism in European literature and is renowned for his multi-faceted characters. Many of Balzac's works have been made into films, and they continue to inspire other [...] enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac had trouble adapting to the teaching style of his grammar school. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. When he finished school, Balzac was apprenticed in a law office, but he turned his back on the study of law after wearying of its inhumanity and banal routine. Before and during his career as a writer, he attempted to be a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician. La Comédie Humaine reflects his real-life difficulties, and includes scenes from his own experience. La Comédie humaine is generally viewed as his masterpiece.