14 h 49 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Passion, war, vanity, fate: how much of a life can a short story hold?
French Short Stories brings together nineteenth-century writers whose tales move between village life and Paris streets, Romantic adventure and the fantastic. Prosper Mérimée, Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet and Honoré de Balzac explore worlds where danger presses close and ordinary people face the pull of passion or their own vanity.
Alongside them stand Théophile Gautier, Alfred de Musset, François Coppée and the writing pair Erckmann-Chatrian. The collection moves through Romantic tales, stories of home and war, and Maupassant’s sharply observed fiction. Read these voices side by side to discover how differently a short story can capture people, places and the forces that shape a life.
What you’ll discover
- Romantic adventure and wonder Explore tales where passion and danger meet the strange possibilities of the fantastic.
- Mérimée beyond Paris Follow a cool storyteller into wild tales set far from the capital.
- Daudet close to home Discover the warmth of a writer drawn to Provence, its villages and its people.
- Lives under pressure Encounter ordinary people caught by war, invasion, fate or the traps of their own vanity.
- Distinct voices together Compare each writer’s approach as French storytelling moves toward a sharper, more concentrated form.
Who will love it
For readers who love short fiction, Romantic adventure, strange fantasy and sharp irony, and anyone who enjoys a sampler of French literature or has a few minutes for a complete tale.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Romantic tales open the century
- Mérimée tells wild stories coolly
- Daudet and others look to home and war
- Maupassant sharpens the form
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 14 h 49 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear French Short Stories in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
French Short Stories
From village life to Paris streets, these French tales catch people in the grip of fate, passion and vanity.
Medium level10–20 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
This book gathers short stories by French writers of the nineteenth century. Among them are Prosper Mérimée, Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet, Honoré de Balzac, Théophile Gautier, Alfred de Musset, François Coppée, and the writing pair known as Erckmann-Chatrian.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Romantic tales open the century
The older writers in the collection grew up in the age of French Romanticism. Balzac, born in 1799, is best known for the huge cycle of novels and tales called La Comédie humaine, which tried to portray the whole of French society. His shorter works often show a single obsession, such as money, love or ambition, pushed to its limit.
Alfred de Musset was first a poet and playwright. His prose is quick, witty and full of feeling, and it often treats love as a game that can wound the players. Théophile Gautier held that beauty mattered more than usefulness. His tales often turn toward the strange, where the past and the present, or the living and the dead, seem to touch.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about French Short Stories
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is French Short Stories about?
It is a collection of short tales by nineteenth-century French authors. The stories range from Romantic adventure and strange fantasy to scenes of war, village life and city life, with several different voices and moods.
Which authors are included in French Short Stories?
The authors named are Prosper Mérimée, Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet, Erckmann-Chatrian, François Coppée, Théophile Gautier, Honoré de Balzac and Alfred de Musset, with Douglas Labaree Buffum as the collector of the volume.
Is French Short Stories hard to read?
Not usually. Short stories give you a complete tale in a sitting.
The author
Prosper Mérimée
1803–1870 · French novelist and historian
Prosper Mérimée was a French writer, archaeologist and historian, born in Paris in 1803. He wrote plays, historical works and short stories, including Carmen, published in 1845. He served as inspector-general of historical monuments in France from 1834 to 1860. He died in Cannes in 1870.
More by Prosper Mérimée; Guy de Maupassant; Alphonse Daudet; Erckmann-Chatrian; François Coppée; Théophile Gautier; Honoré de Balzac; Alfred de Musset; Douglas Labaree Buffum (editor)
All 2 booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
