Unfortunately her portrait will cure no one of the addiction to loving sweetly smiling angels with dreamy looks, innocent faces, and a strong-box for a heart.
• La cousine Bette (1846), translated by Sylvia Raphael, ch. XXXVII: Moral reflections on immorality
• La cousine Bette (1846), translated by Sylvia Raphael, ch. XXXVII: Moral reflections on immorality
“
Malheureusement, ce portrait ne corrigera personne de la manie d’aimer de anges au doux sourire, à l’air rêveur, à figure candide, dont le cœur est un coffre-fort.
— Honoré de Balzac
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Malheureusement, ce portrait ne corrigera personne de la manie d’aimer de anges au doux sourire, à l’air rêveur, à figure candide, dont le cœur est un coffre-fort." in the context of "Unfortunately her portrait will cure no one of the addiction to loving sweetly smiling angels with dreamy looks, innocent faces, and a strong-box for a heart.
• La cousine Bette (1846), translated by Sylvia Raphael, ch. XXXVII: Moral reflections on immorality" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Honoré de Balzac" (Quotes, Various)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.
About Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.
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