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The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: French by Julian Hawthorne: This captivating anthology curated by Julian Hawthorne brings together a selection of the most intriguing and enchanting French stories from various periods and authors. From classic tales to lesser-known gems, "The Lock and Key Library" offers readers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of French literature, showcasing the creativity and imagination of French storytellers. Key Aspects of the Book "The Lock and Key Library: the Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: French": A Cross-Section of French Literature: The anthology offers a diverse range of stories that represent different styles, genres, and eras of French literature. French Culture and Imagination: The stories provide insights into French culture, history, and the unique perspectives of French authors. Translator's Skill: Julian Hawthorne's translation skills allow English-speaking readers to savor the essence and beauty of the original French stories. Julian Hawthorne was an American writer and literary critic born in 1846. He was the son of famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Julian Hawthorne was known for his work as an editor and compiler of literary anthologies, including "The Lock and Key Library," which aimed to introduce readers to diverse literary traditions from around the world.

The fact is, meanwhile, that, in the riddle story, the detective was an afterthought, or, more accurately, a deus ex machina to make the story go. The riddle had to be unriddled; and who could do it so naturally and readily as a detective? The detective, as Poe saw him, was a means to this end; and it was only afterwards that writers perceived his availability as a character. Lecoq accordingly becomes a figure in fiction, and Sherlock, while he was as yet a novelty, was nearly as attractive as the complications in which he involved himself. Riddle-story writers in general, however, encounter the obvious embarrassment that their detective is obliged to lavish so much attention on the professional services which the exigencies of the tale demand of him, that he has very little leisure to expound his own personal equation—the rather since the attitude of peering into a millstone is not, of itself, conducive to elucidations of oneself; the professional endowment obscures all the others. We ordinarily find, therefore, our author dismissing the individuality of his detective with a few strong black-chalk outlines, and devoting his main labor upon what he feels the reader will chiefly occupy his own ingenuity with,— namely, the elaboration of the riddle itself. Reader and writer sit down to a game, as it were, with the odds, of course, altogether on the latter's side,—apart from the fact that a writer sometimes permits himself a little cheating. It more often happens that the detective appears to be in the writer's pay, and aids the deception by leading the reader off on false scents. Be that as it may, the professional sleuth is in nine cases out of ten a dummy by malice prepense; and it might be plausibly argued that, in the interests of pure art, that is what he ought to be. But genius always finds a way that is better than the rules, and I think it will be found that the very best riddle stories contrive to drive character and riddle side by side, and to make each somehow enhance the effect of the other.—The intention of the above paragraph will be more precisely conveyed if I include under the name of detective not only the man from the central office, but also anybody whom the writer may, for ends of his own, consider better qualified for that function. The latter is a professional detective so far as the exigencies of the tale are concerned, and what becomes of him after that nobody need care,—there is no longer anything to prevent his becoming, in his own right, the most fascinating of mankind.

The Lock and Key Library: The most interesting stories of all nations: America by Lock and Key Library: The most interesting stories of all nations: American is a rare manuscript, the original residing in some of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, typed out and formatted to perfection, allowing new generations to enjoy the work. Publishers of the Valley's mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life.

The Lock and Key Library: The most interesting stories of all nations: American