Author and observer of men, womaniser, gourmet and dandy, Honoré de Balzac did nothing in small measure. His loves were passionate, his debts came to over 150,000 francs. His masterpiece, La Comédie Humaine, ran to 70 interconnected novels...

• 1. Apprenticeship Of A Genius: Honoré Balzac, ablaze with vitality, determined to embrace greatness as a writer, embraces instead the first great love of his life.
  
  
• 2. The Road To Fame: Honoré Balzac... literary hack... lover of the Comtesse de Berny... dedicated to writing... attacking life certain only of one thing: his own personal genius.
  
  
• 3. Man And Women: Tragedy and pain offer no defeat to Balzac, acting instead as a spur to even greater endeavours, increasing not only his literary output, but also his appetite for love.
  
  
• 4. Lost Illusions: Impatiently awaiting the birth of his illegitimate child, constantly in debt, pursued by the military authorities, Balzac seeks refuge with his first love - the ageing, ailing Dilecta.
  
  
• 5. The Human Comedy: Balzac's first great love - his adored Dilecta - is dead. But hope is restored and passion renewed in the form of a Polish Countess.
  
  
• 6. The Race To Death: Balzac, on the run from creditors and militia, living incognito, parted by thousands of miles from his adored one, has received the unbelievable news that Eve, his Countess, is free at last to marry him! What then is the delay?