Subject
Short stories, French Books
Best books
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Contes Français
"Contes Français" by Douglas Labaree Buffum is a collection of French short stories edited with notes and vocabulary, probably prepared in the late 19th century. This anthology features works by notable authors from the 19th century and aims to blend literary merit with a wide vocabulary and engaging subject matter, making it useful for students of the French language. The opening of the book includes a preface detailing the editor's intentions and the selection process of the stories, emphasizing their variety and literary value. The stories included feature a wide range of themes, including military life in “L’enlèvement de la Redoute” by Mérimée, where a young officer reflects on courage and the chaos of battle, while Maupassant's tales delve into human emotions and perspectives on life. Additionally, the stories are accompanied by notes and a vocabulary section, enhancing their usability for students. The editor's approach indicates that this collection not only serves as a literary resource but also as a didactic tool for those learning French.
André Theuriet
Contes tendres
No description available.
Guy de Maupassant
Le Horla
"Le Horla" by Guy de Maupassant is a horror story written in 1887. The tale follows a well-to-do narrator who begins experiencing disturbing physical and psychological symptoms after greeting a passing Brazilian ship. Through diary entries, he describes his torment by an invisible presence he calls "the Horla." As inexplicable events multiply, he struggles to determine whether this entity is real or a manifestation of his own descending madness, while his condition progressively deteriorates through paranoia, hallucinations, and anxiety.
Gustave Flaubert
Œuvres complètes de Gustave Flaubert, tome 6: Trois contes, suivis de mélanges inédits
"Œuvres complètes de Gustave Flaubert, tome 6: Trois contes, suivis de mélanges…" by Gustave Flaubert is a collection of three novellas published in 1877. This work, which took nearly thirty years to complete, became Flaubert's final finished literary achievement. The collection spans three distinct historical periods: a medieval saint's legend, a contemporary portrait of a devoted servant's simple life in Normandy, and an ancient tale of Saint John the Baptist's beheading. Each story explores profound human devotion through different lenses of faith and sacrifice.
Colette
Sido; suivi de Les vrilles de la vigne
"Sido; suivi de Les vrilles de la vigne" by Colette is an autobiographical work published in 1929. The book offers an intimate portrait of Colette's childhood in rural Burgundy, centered on her extraordinary mother, Sidonie Landoy, nicknamed Sido. Through poetic prose, Colette explores her family members: her nature-loving, independent mother; her disciplined father, a former military captain; and her spirited siblings she calls "the savages." This lyrical memoir celebrates the people and landscapes that shaped her youth, weaving together memory, nature, and the profound bonds of family life.
Guy de Maupassant
Contes du jour et de la nuit
"Contes du jour et de la nuit" by Guy de Maupassant is a short story collection published in 1885. The title itself suggests a contrast between light and darkness, day and night. These twenty-one tales explore humanity's darker nature through stories of cruelty, betrayal, and tragedy. Maupassant portrays peasants as heartless and greedy, bourgeois as cowardly, and aristocrats as irresponsible. Family relationships fracture under the weight of selfishness and abandonment. The collection begins with lighter stories before descending into darkness—examining murder, suicide, and human monstrosity with unflinching clarity.
Guy de Maupassant
Boule de Suif
"Boule de Suif" by Guy de Maupassant is a short story published in 1880. During the Franco-Prussian War, ten passengers flee occupied Rouen in a stagecoach, including a patriotic prostitute nicknamed Boule de Suif. When a Prussian officer demands she sleep with him before letting them continue, the travelers initially support her refusal. But as days pass, they pressure her to sacrifice herself for their freedom. Maupassant exposes the hypocrisy and cruelty of bourgeois society through this powerful tale of prejudice and ingratitude.
Charles Monselet
Les amours du temps passé
"Les amours du temps passé" by Charles Monselet is a fictional work written in the late 19th century. The story follows the character M. le chevalier de Pimprenelle, who is portrayed as a dandy enamored with fashionable society and the affairs of love, showcasing a humorous exploration of romantic entanglements and social pretensions. The opening of the work introduces M. le chevalier de Pimprenelle as he awakens after a night of indulgence, illustrating his flamboyant personality through his interactions with his valet, La Brie. As Pimprenelle bemoans the state of his attire from the previous evening, he decides to reinvent himself as a "petit-maître," embodying the whimsical and fashionable man of his time. The dialogue between him and La Brie reveals Pimprenelle's aspirations for grandeur and extravagance, setting the stage for his social interactions and romantic pursuits, including plans to impress the dancer Tonton at the opera, while also hinting at a more complex web of relationships to come.
J.-H. Rosny
La Mort de la Terre, roman, suivi de contes
"La Mort de la Terre, roman, suivi de contes" by J.-H. Rosny aîné is a science fiction novel published in 1910. In a distant future, Earth has become a vast desert, drained by human exploitation. The last surviving communities limit births and practice euthanasia as water disappears. Targ, among the final humans willing to fight for survival, searches desperately for water and new lands. Meanwhile, a mysterious new species—the Ferromagnétaux, beings part-living and part-mineral—thrives on humanity's ruins, signaling a dramatic shift in Earth's dominant reign.
Brada
Mylord et Mylady
No description available.
Auguste Villiers de L'Isle-Adam
Contes cruels
"Contes cruels" by comte de Auguste Villiers de L'Isle-Adam is a collection of 28 short stories published in 1883. These tales satirize the bourgeois materialism and narrow-mindedness of the era, contrasting superficial characters with spiritual idealists. Villiers employs dark irony and sometimes fantastic elements to critique his contemporaries' greed, foolishness, and obsessive rationalism. The stories share a common thread of cruelty, revealing human flaws without pretense while maintaining a tragic poetry that reflects the author's aristocratic idealism and devotion to beauty.
Jules Gabriel Janin
Contes Fantastiques et Contes Littéraires
"Contes Fantastiques et Contes Littéraires" by Jules Gabriel Janin is a collection of fantastical and literary short stories likely written in the mid-19th century. The work addresses themes of poetry, art, and the nature of imagination, showcasing the author's reflections on the essence of storytelling and inspiration. Janin draws comparisons between various literary forms and explores what constitutes fantasy in literature. The opening portion introduces the tone and intent of the collection through a lively preface in which Janin reflects on the nature of his stories, revealing a certain ambivalence about their label as “fantastiques.” He engages in a philosophical discourse with a friend, Roland, contemplating the state of poetry and its evolution, suggesting that contemporary poets, while constrained by moral and artistic expectations, turn to the fantastical for inspiration. The narrative shifts to a scene at a tavern where the protagonist, Théodore, shares his experiences and ruminates on his artistic ambitions, signifying a blend of introspection and social commentary that sets the stage for the diverse tales to unfold.
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