Balzac kept a rough draft of the novel for six years before completing it in 1837 after being offered 20,000 Francs by Le Figaro, provided it was ready to appear before December 15 that year. Explaining the delay he would later write "For six years I have kept a rough draft of César Birotteau despairing of ever being able to interest anyone in the character of a rather stupid, somewhat mediocre shopkeeper, whose misfortunes are commonplace, symbolising that world of the small Parisian tradesman which we so often ridicule ..."

Honore de Balzac lived most of his life one step from his creditors; his house in Paris even had a special exit for avoiding them. No one knows more about money problems than Balzac, and this is his subject in Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau one of Balzac's greatest novels. It is the story of Cesar Birotteau, an honest perfumer who is lured into overextending himself. This luring is the work of the unsavory du Tillet, an employee Birotteau fired for embezzlement. The Embezzler works in secret to take revenge. And take it he does: Birotteau falls hard. Bankruptcy -- ignominious bankruptcy -- is in the cards. But all is not lost -- not yet. Anselme Popinot, a brilliant young marketer in love with Birotteau's daughter, works to help Birotteau recover. Perhaps together they can recover Birotteau's honor -- perhaps.

Partly satirical, partly sympathetic of the Parisian middle class.