Prince Narcissus and Other Stories

Robert Scheffer

Translated by Shawn Garrett

Appearing here in English for the first time, in a translation by Shawn Garrett, is Robert Scheffer’s minor masterpiece of decadence, Prince Narcissus. Glutted with over-the-top imagery and set largely against a backdrop of Venice, it tells, in glistening prose, of the bizarre suffering of Prince Mitrophane Moreano, impassioned by his own image and armed against fleeting youth with only the science of the cosmetic box and his singular madness. Included in the current volume are four additional tales which show Scheffer’s broad range, covering the grounds of the conte cruel, horror, the occult, and the naturalist nouvelle.

About the Author
Robert Scheffer (1863-1926) was born the son of a clergyman at Colmar Alsace. He became private secretary to Carmen Sylva Queen of Romania and later, in 1891, went to Paris to devote himself to literature, becoming a contributed to many of the leading magazines, including the Mercure de France and La Revue blanche. He produced numerous volumes of prose and verse, including Misère royale (1893), Hermeros (1899), and Les Frissonnantes (1905).

Paperback, 122 pages. Release date, November 5, 2019
ISBN-13: 978-1-64525-014-2
Price: US$13.50

Hardcover, 124 pages. Limited edition of 70 copies
Release date, November 5, 2019
Price: US$29.00