Publisher Description

Drawn from two centuries of French literature, these superb selections by ten great writers span a wide variety of styles, philosophies, and literary creeds. The stories reflect not only the beliefs of various literary schools, but the preoccupations of French civilization, at the various times of their composition, with the metaphysical and psychological problems of man. Contents include Micromégas (Voltaire), La Messe de l'Athée (Honoré de Balzac), La Légende de Saint Julien l'Hospitalier (Gustave Flaubert), Le Spleen de Paris (Charles Baudelaire), Menuet (Guy de Maupassant), Mort de Judas (Paul Claudel), Le Retour de l'Enfant Prodigue (André Gide), Grand-Lebrun (François Mauriac), Le Passe-Muraille (Marcel Aymé), and L'Hôte (Albert Camus). Students of French, or those who wish to refresh their knowledge of the language, will welcome this treasury of masterly fiction. The selections are arranged chronologically, allowing the reader to witness the development of French literary art - from Voltaire to Camus. Excellent English translations appear on pages facing the Original French. Also included are a French-English vocabulary list, textural notes, and exercises.

Back Cover

"The selections are good and the translations are excellent."Germaine Br

Author Biography

Wallace Fowlie (1908-98) was the James B. Duke Professor of French Literature at Duke University. He was the author or translator of thirty books, including" Rimbaud: A Critical Study" and "Rimbaud and Jim Morrison: The Rebel as Poet," Seth Whidden is assistant professor of French at Villanova University and coeditor-in-chief of "Parade sauvage," the scholarly journal of Rimbaud studies.

Table of Contents

Foreword VOLTAIRE Micromegas Micromegas HONORE DE BALZAC La Messe de l'Athee The Atheist's Mass GUSTAVE FLAUBERT La Legende de Saint Julien l'Hospitalier The Legend of St. Julian the Hospitaler CHARLES BAUDELAIRE "Le Spleen de Paris (Le Vieux Saltimbanque, Le Joujou de Pauvre, La Corde)" "Spleen of Paris (The Old Clown, The Poor Boy's Toy, The Rope)" GUY DE MAUPASSANT Menuet Minuet PAUL CLAUDEL Mort de Judas Death of Judas ANDRE GIDE Le Retour de l'Enfant Prodigue The Return of the Prodigal Son FRANCOIS MAURIAC Grand-Lebrun Grand-Lebrun MARCEL AYME Le Passe-Muraille The Passer-through-Walls ALBERT CAMUS L'Hote The Guest Notes Questionnaire Vocabulary

Long Description

Ten unusual stories by French literary masters from Voltaire to Camus: "Microm

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