Honoré de BalzacClassics · Literary Fiction·1799–1850
Voyage de Paris à Java
Synopsis
A man decides the best way to escape his debts and elevate his social standing is to fake a long scientific voyage to Java. While his friends and creditors believe he is exploring the other side of the world, he is actually hiding out in a Parisian attic. This short, unfinished story is a sharp satire of social ambition and the ease of public deception.
How it reads
Prose complexity 7/10