description: The fifty stories by Théodore de Banville (1823-1891) making up this volume were originally published in the daily newspaper Gil Blas between November 1880 and October 1881.They represented a reinvention of the subgenre of the contes de fées, although they were substantially different from the classic works of Madame d’Aulnoy, Comtesse de Murat, etc.The tone of the stories covered a wide spectrum, ranging from farce to horror and wry moralistic tales, occasionally featuring demons, figures from Classical mythology, vampires, witches and even the Wandering Jew.Banville can be seen here a significant precursor of surrealism, having influenced such writers as Alfred Jarry. Most of the stories gathered here have a definite panache, and the best of them are highly effective. More importantly, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, a peculiar masterpiece, which fully entitles this collection to be considered as a classic of fantastic literature.CONTENTSIntroductionThe FiguranteThe PompierGeorgette and ZozoThe MusiciansPortrait SittingThe Little ActorThe Rag-PickerThief of FireA Good Day’s WorkThe HubertinesThe Last BallThe Lydian WomanIntervalNever Too LateA MeissonierThe Blue DiamondAn Old VaudevillisteA StepmotherThe Gray MothsPierrot’s Eight SousThe ParodistThe Amethyst RingThe RenegadeThe Green FilesThe SwanThe Stupefied GuestTheater ColumnPerfect LoveA Parisian ChronicleChez BrébantThe FaysBreloqueThe Water-DrinkersThe SoulsAn AmateurThe AlibiRiquette à la HouppeCarabosseScenarioThe Hunchbacked ChildGallant PromenadeThe PhilterThe History of a ReignThe JewThe WomanThe Good MinisterAn Episodic RoleA Literary DebutMademoiselle AgatheRue de l Éperon
title: Magical Tales
publisher: Black Coat Press