From the works of Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850), one can get a comprehensive idea of the history and everyday life of France in the first half of the 19th century. But Balzac not only described the world around him, he also created his own world - the multi-volume “Human Comedy”. Balzac's heroes are people consumed by a strong, all-consuming and most often destructive passion. Their own desires turn out to be deadly. In the novel “Shagreen Skin,” Balzac described this situation with the help of an expressive metaphor: a magic talisman fulfills all the wishes of the main character, but each fulfilled wish shortens his life. The artist’s passion for perfection, described in the story “The Unknown Masterpiece,” is also disastrous. When releasing classic books, we, the Vremya publishing house, really wanted to create a truly modern series, to show a living connection between the timeless classics and the surrounding reality. Therefore, we turned to famous writers, scientists, journalists and cultural figures with a request to write accompanying articles for the books they chose - not dry explanatory texts or cheat sheets for exams, but a kind of declaration of love to the authors dear to their hearts. Some turned it out sublime and touching, others drier and more academic, but it was always sincere and interesting, and sometimes unexpected and unusual. The translator and literary historian Vera Milchina confesses her love for the work of Honoré de Balzac - the book is worth reading just to compare your opinion with the article and look at the work from a different angle.