In this short novel a well-intentioned but naïve provincial priest, Abbé François Birotteau, the eponymous Curé de Tours, finds his hopes confounded and his life ruined by the cynicism, hypocrisy and selfishness of those around him. It is an early example of Balzac’s acute psychological penetration, and of his exploration of the ways in which individuals’ lives are determined by and reflected in their environment. Although it was written in the spring of 1832, it was not until Balzac began to assemble his novels under the collective heading of
La Comédie humainein 1843 that he settled on the title of
Le Curé de Tours[
The Vicar of Tours]. He had previously considered
La Vieille fille[
The Old Maid] from an earlier fragment, decided instead on
Les Célibataires[
The Celibates]…
3133 words
Citation: Wagstaff, Peter. "Le Curé de Tours". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 November 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11194, accessed 20 April 2024.]
