Skip to contentElevenReader Logo
  • Explore
  • Pricing
  • For Authors
  • Listen Now
Sign InStart free trial
  • Search
  • Explore
  • Library
  • Publish a book
  • Help
The Napoleon of the People
Explore
Historical Fiction
,
Literary Classics

The Napoleon of the People

Enriched edition. A Realist Portrait of Power and Ambition in Napoleonic FranceBy Honoré de Balzac
Michael Caine
Listen with Sir Michael Caine™ and 1,000+ voices
Try for $0.00Get for $1
The Napoleon of the People
Length2h 1m

About this audiobook

In "The Napoleon of the People," Honor√© de Balzac delivers a penetrating social and political critique set against the backdrop of 19th-century France. This narrative intricately weaves themes of ambition, power, and the complexities of human character, employing Balzac's signature realism. The novel illustrates the struggle of the common man against the socioeconomic forces of the time, reflecting a society in tumult. Balzac's meticulous attention to detail and his vivid characterizations illuminate the tensions between the elite and the masses, ultimately posing profound questions about leadership and the essence of authority. Honor√© de Balzac, a pivotal figure in French literature, was deeply influenced by the social upheavals of his era, including the impact of the Napoleonic Wars and the rise of industrialism. His lifetime was marked by a keen observation of society and its flaws, providing rich material for his extensive body of work. "The Napoleon of the People" encapsulates Balzac's philosophical inquiry into the nature of democracy and charismatic leadership, shaped by his own experiences as a struggling writer in a rapidly modernizing world. This engaging novel is highly recommended for readers interested in the intersections of politics, society, and individual aspirations. Balzac's nuanced portrayal of the 'people' in relation to authority not only resonates with contemporary issues but also enriches our understanding of the historical context, making it an essential read for both enthusiasts of classic literature and students of political thought. In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience: - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
FolkloreMythological WorldMemoryHeroPolitical IntrigueWar & BattleBetrayalChosen OneProphecyRoyalty & Courts

Audiobook details

GenreHistorical Fiction, Literary Classics
Length2 hrs 1 min
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 3, 2019
LanguageEnglish

Table of contents

1Introduction
6The Napoleon of the People: Translated by Ellen Marriage and Clara Bell.
2Introduction
7Analysis
3Synopsis
8Reflection
4Historical Context
9Memorable Quotes
5Author Biography

More from Honoré de Balzac

International Short Stories: French
International Short Stories: FrenchHonoré de Balzac, Émile Zola, Victor Hugo, Alphonse Daudet, Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas, Voltaire14h 6m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
A Passion in the Desert
A Passion in the DesertHonoré de Balzac35m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
The Old Maid
The Old MaidHonoré de Balzac5h 6m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Two Poets
Two PoetsHonoré de Balzac7h Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Bureaucracy
BureaucracyHonoré de Balzac6h 27m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Beatrix
BeatrixHonoré de Balzac10h 58m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Colonel Chabert
Colonel ChabertHonoré de Balzac3h 40m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Lost Illusions (Complete Edition)
Lost Illusions (Complete Edition)Honoré de Balzac28h 13m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
A Prince of Bohemia
A Prince of BohemiaHonoré de Balzac1h 20m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Verlorene Illusionen (Roman)
Verlorene Illusionen (Roman)Honoré de Balzac28h 47m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Chefs-d'œuvre de Résilience Féminine - 4 Romans Classiques de Passions Interdites
Chefs-d'œuvre de Résilience Féminine - 4 Romans Classiques de Passions InterditesHonoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, Alexandre Dumas, Émile Zola48h 24m$2
Paz (La Fausse Maitresse)
Paz (La Fausse Maitresse)Honoré de Balzac1h 57m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Modeste Mignon
Modeste MignonHonoré de Balzac11h 45m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Honoré de Balzac
The Complete Works of Honoré de BalzacHonoré de Balzac569h 44m Included in Ultra$3 · $0.00
Cäsar Birotteaus Größe und Niedergang (Roman)
Cäsar Birotteaus Größe und Niedergang (Roman)Honoré de Balzac13h 23m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Die Frau von dreißig Jahren (Roman)
Die Frau von dreißig Jahren (Roman)Honoré de Balzac8h 2m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Das Chagrinleder
Das ChagrinlederHonoré de Balzac11h 11m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Petty Troubles of Married Life, First Part
Petty Troubles of Married Life, First PartHonoré de Balzac3h 8m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Cousin Betty
Cousin BettyHonoré de Balzac16h 55m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
View all

More from Historical Fiction

Callum’s Mission
Callum’s MissionDonald L. Robertson10h 23m$20
War Lord
War LordBernard Cornwell13h 21m Included in Ultra$33 · $0.00
The Complete Jaipur Trilogy
The Complete Jaipur TrilogyAlka Joshi33h 44m Included in Ultra$53 · $0.00
Northern Shadows
Northern ShadowsDaniel Greene12h 52m$23
Shōgun, Part One
Shōgun, Part OneJames Clavell24h 19m$35
The Ghost by the Billabong (The Matilda Saga, #5)
The Ghost by the Billabong (The Matilda Saga, #5)Jackie French14h 58m Included in Ultra$33 · $0.00
The Labyrinth of the Spirits
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m Included in Ultra$53 · $0.00
Musashi
MusashiEiji Yoshikawa53h 20m$30
The Things We Cannot Say
The Things We Cannot SayKelly Rimmer13h 48m Included in Ultra$33 · $0.00
Their Castilian Orphan
Their Castilian OrphanAnna Belfrage14h 45m$27
With Fire and Sword, The Deluge & Pan Michael
With Fire and Sword, The Deluge & Pan MichaelHenryk Sienkiewicz113h 5m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Henry Rider Haggard
The Complete Works of Henry Rider HaggardHenry Rider Haggard694h 14m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Eagles over Britain
Eagles over BritainLee Jackson12h 26m$23
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte CristoAlexandre Dumas54h 22m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
The Viennese Dressmaker
The Viennese DressmakerKathryn Gauci11h 46m Included in Ultra$23 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to Baghdad
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m Included in Ultra$33 · $0.00
Under the Light of the Italian Moon
Under the Light of the Italian MoonJennifer Anton12h 28m Included in Ultra$23 · $0.00
THE COMPLETE PALLISER NOVELS (All 6 Novels in One Edition)
THE COMPLETE PALLISER NOVELS (All 6 Novels in One Edition)Anthony Trollope172h 46m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Jubilee, 50th Anniversary Edition
Jubilee, 50th Anniversary EditionMargaret Walker15h 43m Included in Ultra$25 · $0.00
Arch of Triumph
Arch of TriumphErich Maria Remarque15h 51m$28
View all

More from Literary Classics

The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)Jane Austen88h 8m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
C. S. Lewis
C. S. LewisC. S. Lewis38h 55m$30
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn21h 56m Included in Ultra$46 · $0.00
Charles Dickens: Complete Works
Charles Dickens: Complete WorksCharles Dickens814h 50m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate Collection
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m Included in Ultra$5 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Novels, Short Stories and Autobiographical Writings
The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Novels, Short Stories and Autobiographical WritingsFyodor Dostoyevsky271h 27m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
L. M. Montgomery – Premium Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry & Memoirs
L. M. Montgomery – Premium Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry & MemoirsLucy Maud Montgomery155h 55m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Ultimate Collection: ALL 38 Plays & Complete Poetry
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Ultimate Collection: ALL 38 Plays & Complete PoetryWilliam Shakespeare153h 55m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
The Complete Books of F. Scott Fitzgerald (all his 5 novels + all 4 short story collections published during his lifetime)
The Complete Books of F. Scott Fitzgerald (all his 5 novels + all 4 short story collections published during his lifetime)F. Scott Fitzgerald87h 53m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
MARK TWAIN: 12 Novels, 195 Short Stories, Autobiography, 10 Travel Books, 160+ Essays & Speeches (Illustrated)
MARK TWAIN: 12 Novels, 195 Short Stories, Autobiography, 10 Travel Books, 160+ Essays & Speeches (Illustrated)Mark Twain416h 24m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic Novel
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m Included in Ultra$18 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of the Brontë Sisters
The Complete Novels of the Brontë SistersCharlotte Brontë, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë118h 51m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Louisa May Alcott: 16 Novels in One Volume (Illustrated Edition)
Louisa May Alcott: 16 Novels in One Volume (Illustrated Edition)Louisa May Alcott141h 35m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
The Fire Next Time
The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin2h 25m$15
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde
The Complete Works of Oscar WildeOscar Wilde80h 38m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Betty Crocker picture cooky book
Betty Crocker picture cooky bookBetty Crocker, Inc. General Mills2h 13m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Braving the Truth
Braving the TruthRachel Held Evans11h 31m Included in Ultra$29 · $0.00
Richard Wagamese Selected
Richard Wagamese SelectedRichard Wagamese3h 14m$15
The Ultimate George Orwell Collection
The Ultimate George Orwell CollectionGeorge Orwell115h 40m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Shōgun, Part One
Shōgun, Part OneJames Clavell24h 19m$35
View all

You may also like

These Honored Dead
These Honored DeadThomas A. Desjardin8h 14m$22
THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS OF SIR WALTER SCOTT
THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS OF SIR WALTER SCOTTWalter Scott52h 21m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Abridgement of Roman History
Abridgement of Roman HistoryEutropius4h 1m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
The Boys' and Girls' Herodotus
The Boys' and Girls' HerodotusHerodotus10h 54m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Founders of a Continent - 3 Classic European Biographies
Founders of a Continent - 3 Classic European BiographiesThomas Hodgkin, Alfred John Church, Margaret Oliphant25h 13m$1
The History of Rome (Vol. 1-4)
The History of Rome (Vol. 1-4)Livy102h 32m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Some Specimens of the Poetry of the Ancient Welsh Bards
Some Specimens of the Poetry of the Ancient Welsh BardsEvan Evans7h 15m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans
Lives of the Noble Grecians and RomansPlutarch79h 21m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Christopher Columbus and How He Received and Imparted the Spirit of Discovery
Christopher Columbus and How He Received and Imparted the Spirit of DiscoveryJustin Winsor24h 52m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
The Best of the World's Classics (Vol.1-10)
The Best of the World's Classics (Vol.1-10)Henry Cabot Lodge73h 25m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
Foundations of Near Eastern and Classical Civilization – 3 Classic Antiquity Texts
Foundations of Near Eastern and Classical Civilization – 3 Classic Antiquity TextsDonald A. Mackenzie, D. G. Hogarth, Herodotus53h 59m$1
The Greatest Books of All Time - Retold for Children
The Greatest Books of All Time - Retold for ChildrenCharles Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb, Andrew Lang, Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, John Bunyan, Homer, Oliver Goldsmith, Geoffrey Chaucer, Jennie Hall, Winston Stokes, E. Boyd Smith, Miguel Cervantes34h 52m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Legends and Legacies: The 50 Most Influential Figures in History
Legends and Legacies: The 50 Most Influential Figures in HistoryG. K. Chesterton, Romain Rolland, Sarah Ellen Blackwell, Arthur E. P. Brome Weigall, Jacob Abbott, A. H. Beesly, Edward Spencer Beesly, Evelyn S. Shuckburgh, John Charles Tarver, Philo, Stephen Phillips, George Lang, Alice Stopford Green, Alfred von Reumont, Miss Pardoe, John S. C. Abbott, Alfred John Church, Edward Everett Hale, Woodrow Wilson, William Milligan Sloane, Madame de Rémusat, Joseph Moyle Sherer, Sarah H. Bradford, John Torrey Morse, William E. Barton, George Hesekiel, Kenneth Robert Henderson Mackenzie, Edward Tyas Cook569h 47m$2
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of ArthurHoward Pyle9h 10m$20
THE HISTORY OF ROME (Complete Edition in 4 Volumes)
THE HISTORY OF ROME (Complete Edition in 4 Volumes)Livy102h 29m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
KING ARTHUR OF CAMELOT: The History & The Myth of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (10 Books in One Volume)
KING ARTHUR OF CAMELOT: The History & The Myth of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (10 Books in One Volume)Thomas Malory, Alfred Tennyson, Maude L. Radford, James Knowles, Richard Morris, T. W. Rolleston, Howard Pyle125h 16m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
THE CAMELOT TRILOGY
THE CAMELOT TRILOGYHoward Pyle38h 19m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00
The Life of Jesus: According to the Study and Criticism of the Bible
The Life of Jesus: According to the Study and Criticism of the BibleErnest Renan13h 54m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
Arthurian Tales
Arthurian TalesHoward Pyle, Richard Morris, James Knowles, T. W. Rolleston, Thomas Malory, Alfred Tennyson, Maude L. Radford125h 16m Included in Ultra$1 · $0.00
The History of the Ancient Civilizations
The History of the Ancient CivilizationsMax Duncker92h 37m Included in Ultra$2 · $0.00