Despite an initial shaky start, Honoré de Balzac became one of French literature's most famous names. His former home, the Maison de Balzac in Paris, is open to the public, his writing desk still intact.
Balzac lived in the Rue Raynouard from 1840 to 1847, often barricading himself in to all but the closest of friends during 16-hour writing marathons. Cousine Bette was written here, as were many of Balzac's letters to his Polish mistress Madame Hanska, who allegedly reappears in the novel under the guise of Madame Hulot.
Alongside the novelist's desk, the museum houses a number of manuscripts, portraits and a wall-chart of the 2000-odd characters of the Comédie.