The unknown masterpiece cover

The unknown masterpiece

by Honoré de Balzac

"One of Balzac's most celebrated tales, The Unknown Masterpiece is the story of a painter who, depending on one's perspective, is either an abject failure or a transcendental genius - or both. This work, which has served as an inspiration to artists as various as Cezanne, Henry James, Picasso, and New Wave film director Jacques Rivette, is, in critic Dore Ashton's words, a "fable of modern art."". "Published here in an outstanding new translation by the poet Richard Howard, The Unknown Masterpiece appears, as Balzac intended, with Gambara, a grotesque and tragic novella about a composer undone by his dreams."--BOOK JACKET.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?