The complete online text of Farewell by Honoré de Balzac.

Had Balzac been a less masterful novelist, the disreputably profligate fraud in him might have overwhelmed his artistry. Still, the other Balzac, the artist, is tainted by his well-earned reputation for what has been called artistic license or dishonesty...

The French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) was the first writer to use fiction to convey the total social scene prevailing within one country at a particular period in its history. Commonly regarded as the founder of social realism, he also...

It must have been a terrible challenge for Stephen Hunter, a self- admitted "media elitist" from Washington, to take on and trash the sad closing after 72 years in business of Haussner's Restaurant in Baltimore ["Baltimore's Entree to a Bygone World," Style, Sept. 22]....

IT'S HARD to imagine that the Key Theatre's last day of operation will be Dec. 7. After all, the Georgetown movie theater -- founded by David Levy -- has been a veritable institution for 24 years, showing everything from the classic likes of Marcel...

Rep. J. Dennis Hastert, who served as House speaker longer than any other Republican, bade farewell to his colleagues Thursday, confirming that he will not complete his 11th term.Hastert, 65, did not say exactly when he will resign, but indicated it will be soon. He...

With a blast of Nirvana's "All Apologies," the 17-month effort to establish a talk station at New York's 92.3 FM ended abruptly Thursday afternoon with the return of K-Rock _ the station's identity before Howard Stern departed for satellite radio in January 2006.The new format...