Balzac in Saché castle: sleepless nights and black coffee
And also
The tops
Daddy, who are you?
In 1803, Jean Margonne owned the castle with his wife and entirely altered it. But the couple also spent time in their estate in Tours…
Among their neighbours, there was the deputy mayor Bernard-François Balzac and his little family, including little Honoré, one of his son. The gossip says besides the youngest son Henri and Mr. Margonne were as like as two peas, if you see what I mean...
Little puny boy’ll become an adult
Little Honoré was weak and sick, when he was a kid. So his parents decided to send him in Saché, at the Margonne, to have some rest. He never forgot Saché and the little castle…
After the success of his first novel, Le Dernier Chouan in 1829, Honoré came back in Saché to rest, always hosted by the Margonne.
A place that inspired him, but also a shelter where he could escape from his creditors! Aaah, damned vultures…
A skinflint and a humpbacked lady!
Honoré didn’t like Margonne. He said he was stingy and his wife was pretty grumpy and humpbacked!
But the feeling was mutual, Honoré wasn’t kind at all with her…
He wrote to his friend Mrs. Hanska: ″Saché is a piece of castle on river Indre, in the delicious valley of Touraine. The owner, a 48 years old man, knew me when I was a kid. He had a pious and intolerant wife. I'm here to see him, but I’m free to do what I want.″
Meanwhile, after his death, Margonne the so-called skinflint bequeathed a big sum of money to Honoré...
Writing, always writing!
As soon as he arrived in Saché, Honoré locked himself in his bedroom (his ″monk’s cell″), with the lights on and the shutters closed.
He wrote lying or sitting, 20 hours nonstop. No time for daydream, he worked relentlessly!
His work done, Honoré ″had holidays″: he woke late, had strolls… Then, after few years, he wanted to write, again! So, it was the end of holidays…
He woke up at 2AM, made coffee with slices of bread and started to write in his bed.
He worked until 5PM… Honoré said in a letter to his mum that his editors harassed him: he had to write more and more...