Were Honoré de Balzac and Leo Tolstoy alive at the same time?
Yes. Honoré de Balzac and Leo Tolstoy were alive at the same time for 21 years, from 1828 to 1850.
Honoré de Balzac was 29 when Leo Tolstoy was born.
Leo Tolstoy was 21 when Honoré de Balzac died, aged 51.
Leo Tolstoy
Russian author
Born 28 August 1828 (Julian calendar) · died 7 November 1910 (Julian calendar), aged 82