Quatre contes de Prosper Mérimée

Quatre contes de Prosper Mérimée

Prosper Mrime was born in Paris, on the 28th of September, 1803, and died at Cannes, on the 23d of September, 1870. His grandfather on his father's side was a lawyer, his father a professor at the cole des Beaux-Arts. His mother, a grand daughter of Mme. Leprince de Beaumont, the author of "The Beauty and the Beast" and other juvenile stories, was a painter of merit, like his father, and had a natural gift for narration. Mrime's early home and school training emphasized and developed three characteristics of his nature, the first of which had to do with his feelings, the second with his mind, and the third with his will. When he was five years old, it happened that he was sent away from his mother's studio as a punishment for some misbehavior. Once outside, he began to beg pardon in tones of genuine repentance. His mother did not answer. Finally, he opened the door and dragged himself on his knees towards her, supplicating so pathetically that she burst outlaughing. Then, suddenly, he arose and in an altered tone cried out: "Well, if you make fun of me, I shall never beg pardon again!" Afterwards at school, at the Collge Henri IV, he was teased and made fun of by his fellows on account of his timidity, awkwardness and the effeminate elegance of his dress. This sort of experience, aided by his natural temperament, gradually led to the concealment of his feelings. Though his voluminous correspondence, published after his death, reveals a sensitive nature, his habitual attitude towards the emotions ultimately became one of indifference and even cynicism. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 14115
Author: Mérimée, Prosper
Release Date: Nov 22, 2004
Format: eBook
Language: French

Contributors

Editor: Van Steenderen, Frederic Cornelius Leonard, 1864-