The 9 best, most highly rated, novels of Honoré de Balzac

Because people often google "what is considered the best novel of X" type queries (I do myself) I offer this from a book called The Rough Guide to Classic Novels, pg. 135:

The following nine are the most outstanding [Honoré de Balzac] novels in the scheme [La Comédie humaine]...

Les Chouans (1829)
The Wild-Ass's Skin (1831)
Colonel Chabert (1832)
Eugénie Grandet (1833)
Old Goriot (1835)
Lost Illusions (1837-43)
Cousin Bette (1846)
Cousin Pons (1847)
A Harlot High and Low (1838-47)

For what it's worth; but I can say that the book that is taken from is exceptional for those types of books. The author covers all the classics (and he's not constrained by any asinine or fearful political-correctness) while at the same time will introduce you to many novels you're likely to have never heard of (I would say even 20% of the novels he covers are in this category).

I use myself as a gauge for that last statement, because I am one who has to know about everything that exists in a subject when I am interested in a subject. I pour over lists from anywhere I can find them, for instance. That's why this book surprised me.