
audiobook
by comte de Auguste Villiers de L'Isle-Adam
A vivid tableau of Revolutionary France unfolds in this eclectic mix of short pieces, where satire, melancholy, and absurdity mingle on the streets of Paris. The opening scene thrusts listeners into a tense morning in 1793, as the infamous prosecutor Fouquier‑Tinville negotiates a macabre request from the enigmatic Thermidor Moutonnet. Their sharp, witty exchange reveals a world where political terror and personal intrigue intersect, framed by a voice that balances dark humor with a keen eye for human folly.
Beyond the dramatic encounter, the collection drifts through whimsical pamphlets, fleeting memories, and playful fantasies that capture the restless spirit of the era. Each fragment offers a glimpse into the lives of citizens, conspirators, and lovers, rendered in a style that feels both historically grounded and delightfully inventive. Listeners will be drawn into the restless pulse of the streets, hearing the clatter of guillotines, the rustle of secret letters, and the lingering echo of laughter that refuses to be silenced.
Language
fr
Duration
~5 hours (318K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Distributed Proofreaders of Italy
Release date
2015-03-18
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1838–1889
A bold, eccentric voice of French Symbolism, he is best remembered for darkly imaginative tales and for Tomorrow's Eve, an early science-fiction novel about an artificial woman. His work mixed aristocratic idealism, satire, and fantasy in ways that later writers found haunting and original.
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