"A Distinguished Provincial at Paris" is a novel written by Honoré de Balzac and translated by Ellen Marriage. It is part two of a trilogy and tells the story of a young man from the provinces named Lucien de Rubempré who travels to Paris to pursue his dreams of becoming a famous author. Lucien soon finds himself caught up in the glamorous and cutthroat world of Parisian high society, where he must navigate the intricacies of power, love, and betrayal. With its vivid portrayal of 19th-century Paris and its complex characters, the novel is a captivating tale of ambition and morality.