The Country Doctor
novel by Balzac
Also known as: “Le Médecin de campagne”
The Country Doctor, novel by Honoré de Balzac, published in 1833 as Le Médecin de campagne. The novel was part of Balzac’s monumental fictional undertaking, La Comédie humaine (The Human Comedy). Dr. Benassis is a compassionate and conscientious physician who ministers to the psychological and spiritual as well as physical needs of the villagers among whom he has chosen to practice medicine. He has been instrumental in transforming the once-impoverished community into a progressive and...