Honoré de Balzac
The Wild Ass's Skin: what to read next?
Books close in genre, era, author or reading level, to read in bilingual editions.
George OrwellAnimal FarmThe animals of Manor Farm drive out their master and set about running the farm themselves, under the banner of equality. The pigs, quickest to learn, take charge of organising the work and writing the rules. Little by little, the rules change, the memories fade, and the new…Same genre
Fyodor DostoevskyThe Brothers KaramazovFyodor Karamazov, a debauched father, is set against his eldest son Dmitri over an inheritance and the same woman. Around them Ivan, tormented by the problem of evil, and Alyosha, a novice at the monastery, take opposite paths, while the servant Smerdyakov looks on. When the…Same genre
Friedrich NietzscheThus Spoke ZarathustraZarathustra, a solitary thinker, descends among men to share his vision of the world and to question established values. Through his speeches, he invites them to go beyond traditional beliefs and to create their own rules. His often provocative teaching pushes the reader to…Same genre
John Oliver HobbesRobert OrangeAn English novel, sequel to The School for Saints. London, 1869: Robert Orange, a young Catholic Member of Parliament of French descent and a protégé of Disraeli, marries Brigit, a young widow he loves with an almost mystical devotion. On the very day of the wedding, word comes…Same genre
Henry ThoreauWaldenThoreau, seeking simplicity, settles alone near Walden Pond to live in self-sufficiency. He observes nature, reduces his needs to the bare essentials, and reflects on modern society. Through his experience, he questions work, consumption, and dominant values. This text blends…Same genreSame era
Joseph ConradThe Secret AgentAdolf Verloc, a double agent living in London, leads an outwardly ordinary life while engaging in clandestine activities. Assigned a dubious mission, he becomes caught in a chain of events that quickly escapes his control. Around him, his wife Winnie and others suffer the…Same genre
Mary ShelleyFrankensteinVictor Frankenstein, a brilliant young scientist, succeeds in creating life from dead matter, but immediately rejects his creature, horrified by its appearance. Left to itself, the being develops consciousness and emotions, but faces rejection and solitude. Its search for…Same genreSame era
Anatole FranceThe Red LilyJacques, a man torn between passion and disillusionment, maintains a complex relationship with Thérèse, a seductive and elusive woman. Their affair evolves through attraction, jealousy, and power games. In a refined social environment, feelings mingle with interests and…Same countrySame genre
Herman MelvilleMoby-DickIshmael, a sailor with no ties on land, signs on at Nantucket aboard the Pequod, a whaler under Captain Ahab. Maimed years earlier by a white sperm whale, Ahab has turned the hunt into an obsession to which he bends his whole crew. The ship works its way down the oceans,…Same genreSame era
Saint AugustineConfessionsAugustine, in search of truth, retraces his path from a youth marked by doubt and excess to his spiritual conversion. He explores his mistakes, questions, and the influences that shaped his thought. Through this introspection, he seeks to understand the nature of good, evil,…Same genre
Fyodor DostoevskyCrime and PunishmentRaskolnikov, a poor student in Saint Petersburg, believes that certain men can transgress moral laws to achieve great things. He commits a crime he deems justified but is quickly consumed by intense inner turmoil. Between guilt, fear, and pride, his mind wavers as those around…Same genre
Thomas HardyTwo on a TowerIn the English countryside of the nineteenth century, Lady Constantine lives alone on her estate while her husband hunts lions in Africa. She has promised him to see almost no one, and she is bored. At the top of an old tower she finds Swithin St Cleeve, a young man of twenty…Same genre