Prosper Mérimée

Gogol is a lively satirist who excels in familiar scenes, but he too often forgets to subordinate them to the main action of the story. Gogol's characters are almost entirely confined to idiots,...

One can grow good crops on land that has been fertilized by the ash from the trees that grew on it. Mateo Falcone had earned himself a great reputation. One autumn day, his son Fortunato was lying...