 Initial reviews of the book were mixed . Some reviewers accused Balzac of plagiarism or of overwhelming the reader with detail and painting a simplistic picture of Parisian high society . Others attacked the questionable morals of the characters , implying that Balzac was guilty of legitimizing their opinions . He was condemned for not including more individuals of honorable intent in the book . Balzac responded with disdain ; in the second preface of 1835 , he wrote with regard to Goriot : " Poor man ! His daughters refused to recognize him because he had lost his fortune ; now the critics have rejected him with the excuse that he was immoral . " 
