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At the Sign of the Cat and Racket

At the Sign of the Cat and Racket

Honoré de Balzac 4 Episodes Feb 20, 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.

Episodes

001 - Section 1 Feb 20, 2026 2420 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 a
002 - Section 2 Feb 20, 2026 3529 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 a
003 - Section 3 Feb 20, 2026 2332 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 a
004 - Section 4 Feb 20, 2026 1685 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 a

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