'For certain men the stronger their desire, the less likely they are to act.'
With his first glimpse of Madame Arnoux, Frederic Moreau is convinced he has found his romantic destiny, but when he pursues her to Paris the young student is unable to translate his passion into decisive action. He also finds himself distracted by the equally romantic appeal of political action in the turbulent years leading up to the revolution of 1848, and by the attractions of three other women, each of whom seeks to make him her own: a haughty society lady, a capricious courtesan, and an artless country...

Paris Street Tales is the third volume of a trilogy of translated stories set in Paris. The previous two editions are Paris Tales, in which each story is associated with one of the twenty arrondissements, and Paris Metro Tales, in which the twenty-two stories are related to a trip around the Paris Metro. This new volume contains seventeen newly-translated stories related to particular streets in Paris and one newly-written tale of the city.

The stories range from the nineteenth century to the present day and include tales by well-known writers such as...

Paul Vincent presents a compelling collection of prose fiction, memoirs, and anecdotes centering on Amsterdam from the seventeenth century to the twenty-first century, which gives unique insight into the history and culture of the city. The tales within range from Rembrandt to the Jewish persecution in World War 2, from barricades in a working-class district during the Depression to a writer's unhealthy obsession with a massage parlour. These eighteen newly translated works give the reader, and the traveller, a tantalising glimpse of the Amsterdam that lies beyond the tourist guidebooks.

Helene Grandjean, an attractive young widow, lives a secluded life in Paris with her only child, Jeanne. Jeanne is a delicate and nervous girl who jealously guards her mother's affections. When Jeanne falls ill, she is attended by Dr Deberle, whose growing admiration for Helene gradually turns into mutual passion. Deberle's wife Juliette, meanwhile, flirts with a shallow admirer, and Helene, intent on preventing her adultery, precipitates a crisis whose consequences are far-reaching. Jeanne realizes she has a rival for Helene's devotion in the doctor, and begins to exercise a tyrannous hold...