An exhibition on French novelist and playwright Honore de Balzac is underway at the Mu Xin Art Museum in eastern China's Zhejiang province. It gives audiences a chance to get closer to the great writer. Our reporter Ding Siyue has the story.

Co-hosted by Mu Xin Art Museum and Maison de Balzac in Paris, the exhibition showcases over 100 items related to the 19th century French writer Balzac. Among them are movie posters adapted from his novels, outlines for his publications, and a model of the writer's hand. Visitors also get the chance to see some artwork inspired by Balzac, including those created by Pablo Picasso and Albert Marquet.

The exhibition has benefited from major loans from the Maison de Balzac museum in Paris. This is the first time for the items to be shown in China. And the exhibition has a very interesting name: "My uncle in literature".

From Father Goriot to Eugenie Gremdet, Balzac created many figures familiar to Chinese readers. His works also had great influence on Chinese literature.

As Chen Danqing says, there's an interesting time difference between Chinese readers and European literature: many characters in 19th century French novels lived in 20th century China.

Though he is a French writer, Balzac's work is enjoyed by readers all over the world.

DING SIYUE, WUZHEN.