Abstract: Readers of Balzac have long complained that his works are sometimes impenetrable. Indeed, Paméla Giraud and Le Faiseur were allegedly “adapted” by his contemporaries (1843, 1851) in order to make them more accessible. These two publications, along with the five more recent adaptations of Le Faiseur (1936, 1937, 1957, 1973, 2015), may shed light on some of their obscure features and explain the impetus for a work that remains captivating despite (or because of) its elusiveness.
