The Reappearing Characters in Balzac's Comédie Humaine by Arthur Graves Canfield ; edited by Edward B. Ham

Balzac made a conscious effort in Comedie Humaine to multiply the reappearance, from book to book, of some of his characters. This careful analysis of nearly six-hundred reappearing characters shows that some appear only briefly, in no significant role; others play important parts; and some become principals in later action.