the last waltz and other stories

Of the many writers who contributed fiction to the Parisian newspapers of the fin de siècle, few, if any, were as prolific as Richard O’Monroy (1849-1916), whose deft style and lively humor made him a favorite of the audiences of his day. The present volume, the first to ever be issued in English, collects together thirteen of his pieces. These stories, usually comical, sometimes sentimental, and often written with a jokey dash reminiscent of Alphonse Allais, one of O’Monroy’s fellow-travelers, offer the contemporary reader a taste of the work of one of the forgotten troubadours of French entertainment.