Published in 1890, this historical novel, based on the life of Saint Thais of Egypt, inspired the opera by Massenet. Its focus is less on Thais—a courtesan who converted to Christianity—than on Paphnutius, a self-deluded hermit who abandons his ascetic life in order to save the seductress Thais’s soul . . . or so he believes.
About the author
Anatole France (1844–1924), born Jacques Anatole Thibault, was a French poet, journalist, and novelist known for his elegant prose. As a supporter of Alfred Dreyfus, his writing became more political and focused on social concerns. In 1921, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature; in 1922, his works were put on the Prohibited Books Index of the Catholic Church. It is difficult to know which he considered the greater honor.
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