Bertault, Philippe, Balzac and the The Human Comedy, New York: New York University Press, 1963.

An approachable but somewhat dated overview of Balzac's major work. Contains a useful biographical sketch as well as a chronology of the major works that comprise The Human Comedy

Festa-McCormick, Diana, Honore De Balzac, Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1979.

As usual, the Twayne series provides a comprehensive introduction to the author's life and career. The chapters are organized chronologically and focus on individual works.

Lukacher, Maryline, Maternal Fictions: Stendahl, Sand, Rachilde, and Bataille, Durham: Duke University Press, 1994.

Though Balzac is not one of the principle authors that she focuses on, her introduction contains an interesting discussion of how Balzac's relationship with his mother is reflected in his writing.