Honora de Balzac is considered the founder of social realism. Balzac was the first writer to write about the al social levels of the social scene in France. His vast collection of works encompasses the Restoration period and the July Monarchy. La Comedie Humaine was written between 1799 and 1850. This collection contains 95 novels, stories, and essays. Written in 1836, this story of a legal battle contains two of Balzac's most striking characters, the Marquise d'Espard and Judge Popinot. The judge is called upon to investigate the seeming insanity of the Marquise's husband when she attempts to gain control of his property.