A Slight Misunderstanding and Other Stories: Annotated Edition - Paperback

by Prosper Mérimée (Author), Douglas Parmée (Translator)

Trapped in an unhappy marriage with a boorish, inattentive and socially ambitious husband, Julie de Chaverny enjoys a flirtatious dalliance with the elegant Major de Châteaufort. However, the sudden reappearance of an old admirer, M. Darcy, who has returned from Turkey with a tale of breathtaking derring-do and chivalry to add to his charms, reawakens in Julie a forgotten passion, and convinces her to pursue a rash and dangerous course, one that will have tragic consequences.

Described as a masterpiece of psychological insight and a minutely observed social satire, A Slight Misunderstanding is here accompanied by other short stories: The Etruscan Vase, The Vision of Charles XI, Tamango, The Blue Room, A Hanging.

Author Biography

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