About the Author

Octave Mirbeau (1848-1917) was a French playwright, journalist, novelist, and staunch supporter of the anarchist cause in France. His work was influenced by many, especially Molière and Dostoyevsky. He was also a lover of art and was one of the earliest supporters of Van Gogh, Pissarro, and Rodin. Alfred de Musset (1810-1857) was a French poet, playwright, and novelist. He was born in Paris to a well-to-do family and turned to writing after first studying to be a doctor. Influenced by Lord Byron and Shakespeare, he fraternized with many great French writers such as Victor Hugo. He died in 1857 of a heart malfunction.