Le Roi au Masque d'Or

by Marcel Schwob

"Le Roi au Masque d'Or" by Marcel Schwob is a collection of fantastical tales published in 1893. In the title story, a king and his subjects live in a court where everyone wears masks by ancient decree—no one has ever seen a human face. When a blind beggar challenges the king's knowledge of himself and his people, the monarch orders all masks removed, uncovering a shocking truth about his lineage. The collection explores themes of hidden identities and concealed realities through mysterious and unsettling narratives.