Prosper Mérimée

Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870) was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen. He studied law as well as Greek, Spanish, English, and Russian. He was the first interpreter of much Russian literature …

Carmen, Merimee's classic tale of passion and power, provided the inspiration for one of the world's most enduringly popular operas, and numerous films. Like Carmen, the other stories in this book, including Mateo Falcone, The Etruscan Vase, and The Venus of Ille, explore the clash of primitive and civilized values. …