Words dazzle and deceive because they are mimed by the face. But black words on a white page are the soul laid bare.” – Guy de Maupassant Doctor Bianchon notices his openly atheist friend Desplein going to church to attend a mass and becomes curious (The Atheist’s Mass). A cannon breaks loose aboard a ship and wreaks havoc below decks as the crew desperately attempts to hold it down (A Fight With a Cannon). Schoolmaster Hamel solemnly delivers a French lesson to his pupils, knowing it will be their last as the country is under new occupation (The Last Lesson). This curated collection contains eight of the finest French short stories ever written, including both lesser-known stories like Alexandre Dumas’s Solange as well as more celebrated ones, like Carmen by Prosper Mérimee. Featuring a diverse range of authors including Honoré de Balzac, Émile Zola, and Maurice Leblanc, this book has something for every reader.