Best of
French-Literature

2003

The Invention of Glass


Emmanuel Hocquard - 2003
    Translated from the French by Cole Swensen and Rod Smith.This is a narrative that tries to explain and to crystalize (the fourth state of water) a situation that has not yet been clarified. Under the guise of memory's particular logic, its play of facets turns to fiction because its sense takes shape only as the series of grammatical phrases unfolds, fusing shadows and blind spots. And yet, like glass, which is a liquid, the poem is amorphous. It streams off in all directions, but reflects nothing. What is the meaning of blue? No one needs to interrogate the concept of blue to know what it means.

Butterball


Guy de Maupassant - 2003
    It is published here with a selection of stories about prostitutes, making this a unique collection. When Butterball's carriage is halted by Prussian soldiers, they demand her sexual services as ransom. Her fellow passengers--hitherto disdainful of her company--are suddenly more than happy to benefit from her "immoral" trade. But Butterball is a loyal French nationalist, and she refuses to sleep with the enemy. Through the warmth and generosity of his heroine, Maupassant exposes the hypocrisy of the French middle class. French writer Guy de Maupassant is most famous for his short stories, which depict the humdrum fate of the middle and working classes.

Une Vie, A Piece Of String And Other Stories


Guy de Maupassant - 2003
    Une Vie (The History Of A Heart) -- A Vagabond -- The Fishing Hole -- The Spasm -- In The Wood -- Martine -- All Over -- The Parrot -- A Piece Of String.

The Economics of Taxation


Bernard Salanie - 2003
    The book offers a thorough discussion of the consequences of taxes on economic decisions and equilibrium outcomes, as well as useful insights into how policy makers should design taxes. It covers issues of central policy importance, such as taxation of income from capital, environmental taxation, tax credits for low-income families, and the consumption tax.