Tartarin of Tarascon

by Alphonse Daudet

"Tartarin of Tarascon" by Alphonse Daudet is a novel written in 1872. In the Provençal town of Tarascon, hunters are so enthusiastic that no game remains. When plump middle-aged Tartarin reacts excitedly to a caged lion, the town mistakes this as commitment to an African hunting expedition. To save face, he must go. Armed with absurd equipment and infinite gullibility, Tartarin stumbles through Algeria encountering conmen and misadventures, ultimately returning home penniless but celebrated after shooting a tame, blind lion.