# Dauriat — Lost Illusions character guide

> Dauriat in Lost Illusions by Honoré de Balzac.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** M. Dauriat

**First appearance:** 0003-part-ii-a-distinguished-provincial-at-paris

## Snapshot

A powerful Parisian publisher whose polished disdain for unknown authors turns Lucien's first literary hopes into a lesson in commerce.

## Who they are

Dauriat commands the book trade from behind a desk that doubles as a throne, dispensing favors to established names and cold refusals to provincials with manuscripts in hand. His taste is real but subordinate to his ledger, and he can afford to be gracious only to writers who have already made him money. His rejection of Lucien's work is not merely a plot obstacle but the novel's clearest demonstration that in Paris, genius without connections is a commodity no one will buy.

## Relationships

### [Lucien Chardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lost_illusions_se/characters/lucien_chardon)

_professional_

Dauriat is a powerful publisher who both publishes Lucien's work and manipulates him for profit.

### [Lucien Chardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lost_illusions_se/characters/lucien_chardon)

_professional_

Dauriat is a powerful publisher who both publishes Lucien's work and manipulates him for profit.

### [Lucien Chardon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lost_illusions_se/characters/lucien_chardon)

_professional_

Dauriat is a powerful publisher who both publishes Lucien's work and manipulates him for profit.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lost_illusions_se/characters/dauriat
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lost_illusions_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lost_illusions_se/characters