Le Père Goriot is an 1835 novel by French novelist and playwright HonorÊ de Balzac, included in the Scènes de la vie privÊe section of his novel sequence La ComÊdie humaine. Widely considered as Balzac's most important novel, it marks the first serious use by the author of characters who had appeared in other books, a technique that distinguishes Balzac's fiction and makes La ComÊdie humaine unique among bodies of work. It is also noted as an example of his realist style, using minute details to create character and subtext. Set in Paris in 1819, Le Père Goriot follows the intertwined lives of three characters: the elderly doting Goriot; a mysterious criminal-in-hiding named Vautrin; and a naive law student named Eugène de Rastignac. The story takes place during the Bourbon Restoration, which brought about profound changes in French society; the struggle of individuals to secure upper-class status is ubiquitous in the book. The novel was released to mixed reviews. Some critics praised the author for his complex characters and attention to detail; others condemned him for his many depictions of corruption and greed. A favorite of Balzac's, the book quickly won widespread popularity and has often been adapted for film and the stage. (more...)

Recently featured: Albert Kesselring – Icos – "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power"

From Wikipedia's newest articles:

• ... that although randomness (example pictured) had long been viewed as an obstacle, it is now used as a tool for designing better algorithms?
• ... that Edmund Chipp performed all six of Felix Mendelssohn's Organ Sonatas, op. 65 from memory in 1848?
• ... that St. Remy's Catholic Church in Russia, Ohio, has been designated a historic site despite extensive modifications?
• ... that footballer Edward King was honored for heroism in the Philippines and tactical skill in France and later became Commandant of the Army Command and General Staff College?
• ... that at least twelve different nomenclatures have been proposed for features of the molar in muroid rodents?
• ... that in Greene v Associated Newspapers Ltd, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales held that the test for granting interim injunctions in defamation cases was inflexible but applied it anyway?
• ... that according to oral history, the Kingdom of Rwanda was founded in the 14th or 15th century on the shores of Lake Muhazi?
• ... that from 1965 to present, Finnish lyricist Vexi Salmi has written over 4000 song lyrics, more than 2400 of which have been recorded?
  
  Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

• At least 35 people are killed and over 1000 evacuated after a dam bursts in Kazakhstan.
• A series of bomb attacks kills at least 72 people in Lahore, Pakistan.
• The Opening Ceremony (pictured) of the 2010 Winter Paralympics is held in Vancouver, Canada.
• Mykola Azarov is appointed Prime Minister of Ukraine, following the resignation of Yulia Tymoshenko.
• Carlos Slim becomes the first non-U.S. citizen to top Forbes’ list of billionaires since 1994.
• Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, Grand Imam of al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, dies at the age of 81 during a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• An earthquake kills 42 people and injures at least 74 others in Elâzığ Province, Turkey.
• The Hurt Locker wins six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win that award.
  Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...

March 15: Ides of March; National Day in Hungary (1848); Hōnen Matsuri in Japan

• 1820 – Primarily due to its vulnerability to foreign invasions, the exclave of Massachusetts known as Maine was given its own U.S. statehood.
• 1877 – Cricketers representing England and Australia began the first match in Test cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
• 1906 – Charles Rolls and Henry Royce founded the British automobile manufacturing company Rolls-Royce.
• 1943 – World War II: German forces recaptured Kharkov after four days of house-to-house fighting against Soviet troops, ending the month-long Third Battle of Kharkov (German infantrymen pictured).
• 1972 – The Godfather, a gangster film based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was released.
• 1985 – The company Symbolics became the first ever entity, individual or party to register a .com top-level domain name: symbolics.com.

More anniversaries: March 14 – March 15 – March 16