The twelve best short stories in the French language

Auguste Dorchain

Sujets

• Short Stories

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 9
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

Uf)IVRSITV OF
'^CALIFORNIA
SAN DIEGO JGOWANS'S COSMOPOLITAN LIBRARY. No. 5
Jrcnch gtciixm
THE TWELVE BEST SHORT STORIES
IN THE FRENCH LANGUAGE
93THE TWELVE BEST
SHORT STORIES
THEIN
FEENCH LANGUAGE
SELECTED BY
AUGUSTE DORCHAIN
GOWANS & LTD.GRAY,
5 ROBEBT W.C.STREET, ADELPHI, LONDON,
58 CADOGAN GLASGOWSTREET,
1915Pint 1915.Edition, Demy Svo, June,
Second Small 1916.Edition, Fcap. 8vo, September,PREFACE
FRENCH literature is abundant thanmoreperhaps any
other in those short works of that are calledimagination
in France writes or in order to contrast themnouvelles,
with those extended narratives for which the name of
romans is reserved. As far back as the Middle
Ages,
the of the interminable chansons deduring period geste,
then of the romances of not less whichchivalry, diffuse,
succeeded the French took inthem, pleasure telling
short which such as Aucassin andofstories, some,
still for those whom theirNicolette, retain, antiquated
does not much interest and charm. In
language repel,
like when the Renaissance in themanner, ends, period
of the of the ofburlesque Rabelais, Queenample epic
in the tales of her vies with theNavarre, Heptameron,
novdlieri of In theItaly. following century, during
which influence we findSpanish prevailed, hardly any
butmore short stories in form,appearing separate
in the manner of Cervantes in his Donnovelists, Quixote,
theirsome here and there in the ofinterpolate plot
main works of as halts and forfiction, resting-places
mind of like in his orthe the reader : D'Urfe Astrea,
Madame De La in LeFayette Za'ide; like, again, Sage
in his Gil Bias at the of thebeginning eighteenth
Later the will comecentury. on, centuryeighteenth
willto restore the to its and Voltaire be agenre sway,
master in nevertheless he will cultivate itit; hardly
without it servemaking philosophical purposes. Along
with more than one minor of merit,him, story-teller
be butsuch as the Chevalier De couldBoufflers, named,6 PEEFACE
that their wit andnot without should beregret elegance
in the service of asomewhat libertineemployed morality.
sketch whichFrom the the reasons,rapid precedes,
whether of substance or of which us fromform, prevent
in our selection of the short stories which
including any
were written before the nineteenth will becentury, easily
deduced. it is then that the flourishesBesides, only genre
that itin all and the writers who cultivatedirections,
the most finished and varied nouvellesproduce numerous,
The names the authors selectedand conies. of twelve
were all us but our embarrass-;obviously imposed upon
when it was to choose onement commenced necessary
tale from their works. It is forcertain, instance,single
that we have in the case ofpreferred, Alphonsemight
in his was ex-a whichDaudet, page trembling sensibility
and not one of those into which he has rather putpressed,
andhis Provencal some;witty gaiety people may regret
that de is here a senti-Guy Maupassant represented by
than one of those stories into whichmental tale rather
he has his bitter realism and his blackpoured pessimism.
To those who be inclined to we wouldus,might reproach
answer that we have been not the wishguided, only by
the most eachto characteristic work ofpresent always
but that of to our selection theauthor, by giving greatest
of tone the narratives thus invariety placedamong
and also the desire never to losejuxtaposition, by sight
of moral We haveany proprieties. only imposed upon
one absolute rule : to offer hereourselves only perfect,
We that no one willindisputable masterpieces. hope
our success in this.question
A. D.