TEHRAN-The Persian translation of the book “Carmen and Other Stories” written by the French author Prosper Mérimée has been released in the Iranian book market.

Translated by Mahmoud Goudarzi, the book has been published by Ofoq Publications as the 14th title in the series of Ofoq Classics, dedicated to the classic works in the field of literature, Mehr reported.

One of the earliest exponents of the short story, Mérimée (1803-1870) wrote the universally-acclaimed tale “Carmen,” which provided the basis for one of the world's most popular operas. In addition to this classic tale, the collection includes “Colomba,” “Mateo Falcone,” “The Storming of the Redoubt,” “Tamango,” “The Etruscan Vase,” “The Game of Backgammon,” “The Venus of Ille.” and “Lokis.”

Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He loved mysticism, history, and the unusual, and may have been influenced by Charles Nodier (though he did not appreciate his works), the historical fiction popularized by Sir Walter Scott and the cruelty and psychological drama of Aleksandr Pushkin. Many of his stories are mysteries set in foreign places, Spain and Russia being popular sources of inspiration.

He was also responsible for several translations of Pushkin and Gogol, when they weren't known in Europe yet.

SS/SAB