The Etruscan Vase and Other Stories

(Paperback)

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Description

When the young and sensitive Auguste Saint-Clair notices an Etruscan vase on the mantelpiece of his beloved Mathilde, he becomes gradually consumed by jealousy at the thought that it could be the gift of another man, and the situation escalates dramatically as he demands proof from her that she loves only him. A classic piece of French short fiction, The Etruscan Vase is here presented alongside three other stories: The Vision of Charles XI, a dark tale of premonition set in the Swedish royal palace, Tamango, an account of a slave-ship revolt, and The Blue Room, a supernatural farce and one of Mrimes final works; as well as two non-fiction pieces: A Hanging, a description of a real-life public execution, and H.B., a tribute to Stendhal.

Reviews

Mrimes tales have gradually come to be considered perfect models of the narrative art, and we confess our own admiration for them is such that we feel like declaring it a capital offence in a young storyteller to put pen to paper without having read them and digested them. -- Henry James

Author Bio

Well-versed in European languages and an archaeologist by profession, Prosper Mrime (1803-70) wrote stories and novellas which displayed his concern for historical accuracy and his fascination for foreign places.