At the Sign of the Cat and Racket

Honoré de Balzac

Paese Stati Uniti

Generi Arts, Books, Fiction

Lingua EN

Episodi 4

Ultimo 20.02.2026

This podcast presents Honoré de Balzac's early work 'At the Sign of the Cat and Racket', first published in 1830. The story revolves around a Parisian fabric shop with a whimsical sign depicting a cat playing racquetball. The shop's bourgeois family is disrupted when a young aristocratic artist charms their daughter, leading to a tale of social class tensions in romance and marriage. The summary is provided by Bruce Pirie.

Episodi

001 - Section 1 20.02.2026 40min

Step into the enchanting world of Balzac’s early work, At the Sign of the Cat and Racket, first published in 1830 and later refined. The title, which translates to La Maison du Chat-qui-pelote, refers to a whimsical sign above a Parisian fabric shop where a cartoon cat plays racquetball. The shop is run by a family steeped in the narrow confines of bourgeois propriety, their lives upended by the arrival of a gifted young artist from an aristocratic background who charms their daughter. This beautifully woven tale captures the complexities of domestic life and the tensions that arise when contrasting social classes collide in romance and marriage. - Summary by Bruce Pirie
002 - Section 2 20.02.2026 58min

Step into the enchanting world of Balzac’s early work, At the Sign of the Cat and Racket, first published in 1830 and later refined. The title, which translates to La Maison du Chat-qui-pelote, refers to a whimsical sign above a Parisian fabric shop where a cartoon cat plays racquetball. The shop is run by a family steeped in the narrow confines of bourgeois propriety, their lives upended by the arrival of a gifted young artist from an aristocratic background who charms their daughter. This beautifully woven tale captures the complexities of domestic life and the tensions that arise when contrasting social classes collide in romance and marriage. - Summary by Bruce Pirie
003 - Section 3 20.02.2026 38min

Step into the enchanting world of Balzac’s early work, At the Sign of the Cat and Racket, first published in 1830 and later refined. The title, which translates to La Maison du Chat-qui-pelote, refers to a whimsical sign above a Parisian fabric shop where a cartoon cat plays racquetball. The shop is run by a family steeped in the narrow confines of bourgeois propriety, their lives upended by the arrival of a gifted young artist from an aristocratic background who charms their daughter. This beautifully woven tale captures the complexities of domestic life and the tensions that arise when contrasting social classes collide in romance and marriage. - Summary by Bruce Pirie
004 - Section 4 20.02.2026 28min

Step into the enchanting world of Balzac’s early work, At the Sign of the Cat and Racket, first published in 1830 and later refined. The title, which translates to La Maison du Chat-qui-pelote, refers to a whimsical sign above a Parisian fabric shop where a cartoon cat plays racquetball. The shop is run by a family steeped in the narrow confines of bourgeois propriety, their lives upended by the arrival of a gifted young artist from an aristocratic background who charms their daughter. This beautifully woven tale captures the complexities of domestic life and the tensions that arise when contrasting social classes collide in romance and marriage. - Summary by Bruce Pirie