Carmen and the Venus of Ille

By Prosper Mérimée

Book Overview

Carmen--the inspiration for one of the world's most popular operas--is a story about the dark forces that lurk beneath the fa ade of civilization, where passions are brutal and erotic love is seductive and sinister. When Don Jos meets a gypsy woman, he has no idea that his chance encounter with the "pretty witch" will have disastrous consequences. With her magic and her malevolent spirit, Carmen exerts a powerful charm on the unsuspecting Don Jos , who is drawn into a seedy underworld of bandits and smugglers--exploited and humiliated, until he is driven to the ultimate revenge. In Carmen, Prosper M rim e introduced a literary archetype: the femme fatale, who uses her sexuality and mystery to ensnare and ultimately destroy the weak, unsuspecting man. It appears here with The Venus of Ille, a brilliant tale of the supernatural. Prosper M rim e is a noted French novelist, playwright, and short story writer.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1843910969
• ISBN13: 9781843910961
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Hesperus Press
• Length: 93 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.9" x 7.7"