Meisternovellen • Prosper Mérimée

This time I’d like to introduce a small collection of novellas that, in my opinion, is something of a hidden gem. I regularly browse through various publishers’ catalogues, and that’s how I came across this little book from my highly esteemed Manesse Verlag. I didn’t know Prosper Mérimée before, and only afterwards did I realize that the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet is based on one of his novellas — which is also included in this volume. However, reading it is worthwhile not only for opera enthusiasts.

Prosper Mérimée was a French writer who lived from 1803 to 1870 and became known for his 25 stories. Although he also published songs and travelogues and tried his hand as a playwright, he truly gained fame through his novellas — the works collected in this volume have since become genuine classics. Especially the aforementioned Carmen, which was later transformed into an opera by Bizet. Mérimée originally studied law and was primarily active in politics in various official capacities. He was acquainted with Stendhal and Victor Hugo, so he moved in excellent literary circles, although his friendship with Hugo later suffered greatly due to their differing political views.

This volume brings together eight novellas. Some are written in the first person, others from an omniscient narrative perspective. A few also have something of a travelogue character, which isn’t surprising, since — as I later learned — Mérimée was quite successful with those as well. The stories range from 30 to 200 pages, making them pleasant little pieces that one can easily get into.

The first novella, Matteo Falcone, takes place in Corsica and serves as a fine introduction to the following and longest story in the book, Colomba. This tale centers on a vendetta — the Corsicans were notorious for such feuds at the time. They would swear blood revenge and, in this way, entire families would wipe each other out. It’s a topic that, perhaps due to Napoleon’s Corsican roots, was of great interest at the time. Not long ago, I read La Vendetta by Balzac, which also deals with the theme of blood feuds between Corsican families. Carmen tells the story of a gypsy woman who bewitches a simple soldier and leads him into a life of crime. With Il vicolo di Madama Lucrezia, Mérimée offers a small gothic tale that works quite well in places. In The Etruscan Vase and The Double Mistake, readers are treated to two very different yet finely crafted love stories. The Venus of Ille again carries something of a travelogue tone, mixed with a touch of the supernatural. The Blue Room tells of a couple and a failed rendezvous, and its plot and ending have a distinctly ironic undertone.

Once you open this book and start reading, it doesn’t take long to find yourself immersed in the story. Mérimée’s writing is clear, concise, and elegant. I found it very pleasant how he draws the reader in and how quickly and precisely he can sketch out an entire scene or environment in just a few sentences. He writes very much in the style of Realism, which is exactly to my taste. He doesn’t have the loquacity of Balzac (which I still find very entertaining), but his pacing is wonderfully balanced. In each of his stories, I found myself wondering how things would turn out, and in every single one, he managed to keep me engaged with a steady, well-measured sense of suspense.

What Mérimée accomplishes masterfully in this and his other novellas is the characterization of his figures. With few but precise words, he manages to present people who feel authentic, whose motivations are understandable, and whose actions are thoroughly human. Especially when it comes to the relationships between men and women, he constructs situations in which readers can empathize deeply with the protagonists. Some stories have an adventurous flair but always return to reflections on human thought and behavior. He portrays fates that feel entirely real and, within their concise form, consistently entertain. At many points, one also perceives an ironic undertone, which Mérimée combines excellently with a certain depth — despite the brevity of his tales.

Conclusion: Mérimée’s famous Meisternovellen feature an elegant, flowing narrative style marked by precision and clarity. The stories are consistently engaging and depict human emotions and ways of thinking with remarkable skill. He proves to be a versatile author, offering a variety of tales into which the reader quickly sinks, each providing solid entertainment. While he doesn’t reach the emotional intensity of a Maupassant or the sweeping social scope of a Balzac, I can nonetheless recommend this little book without reservation.

Book information: Meisternovellen • Prosper Mérimée • Manesse Verlag • 660 pages • ISBN 9783717512844