The Inamorate Devil

The famous novella by the French writer, poet, and translator of the 18th century Jacques Cazotte, «The Inamorate Devil», is published in full for the first time, with a preface by the author. The text of the novella translated by L. G. Zhdanov is preceded by an essay from the book «Illuminati» by the French prose writer of the 19th century Gérard de Nerval, which recounts the life of Cazotte and his literary work. The edition includes numerous notes that help appreciate all the details of the text. The book is adorned with over two hundred expressive illustrations by the talented French graphic artist of the 19th century Charles-Édouard de Beaumont.

The novella «The Inamorate Devil» by Jacques Cazotte is regarded as a precursor of Romanticism in European literature. Its intriguing plot, based on a pact with the devil and a love story, consistently attracts the attention of readers. Literary pursuits alleviated the monotony of Cazotte's bureaucratic service. The future writer was born in 1719 in Dijon to a landowner and wine merchant. At the age of twenty-two, Cazotte began working as a minor clerk in the Ministry of the Navy. At the same time, his first work was published—a collection of amusing parodies of the tales from «The Thousand and One Nights». In 1742, Cazotte published another similar collection—«A Thousand and One Foolishnesses», in which he also demonstrated a lively imagination and impeccable literary style. Cazotte's career gradually progressed. He was first appointed as an inspector responsible for the construction and repair of various marine facilities, and in 1749, receiving the position of inspector of the Navy of the Antilles, he went to Martinique for twelve years. It was likely during this time that the idea for «The Inamorate Devil» was conceived. This novella, first published in 1772 in France, became the pinnacle of the writer's literary creativity. Jacques Cazotte wrote librettos for operas and published «The Continuation of a Thousand and One Nights». Unfortunately, the writer's life ended tragically. Cazotte's monarchist beliefs and letters discussing the possibility of saving the king were enough for the revolutionary court in 1792 to sentence the elderly writer to execution by guillotine.

The French artist Édouard de Beaumont, whose expressive illustrations decorate this edition, began his creative path as a landscape painter. He was born in 1819 in Paris to a sculptor's family. His father wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and also become involved in art. To this end, he sent the boy to study drawing with the artist Antoine Félix Boisselier. Having mastered the basics of the craft, Édouard began exhibiting at the Paris Salon in 1839. Then came a long trip to Italy, during which de Beaumont continued to refine his drawing skills. Édouard was proficient in watercolor techniques. In 1879, he co-founded the French Society of Watercolorists with Jean Georges Vibert and was its leader for a long time. However, Édouard de Beaumont became more widely famous for his graphic works. He illustrated dozens of books. Many French people read «The Hunchback of Notre-Dame» by Victor Hugo with his illustrations. De Beaumont's drawings for «The Inamorate Devil» are well-known far beyond the borders of France.