Blues for a black cat & other stories

Blues for a black cat & other stories by Boris Vian

'In Paris in the 1950s Boris Vian was everything—
poet, fiction writer, singer, subversive actor,
musician, andjazz critic. He was my friend,
and I admired him passionately for his eclecticism,
devastating irony, and taste for provocation.
. . . since his death Boris Vian has become
the object of a veritable cult."—Louis Malle, director
ofMy Dinner with Andre, Atlantic City, and
other films.

A cocky black cat that drinks cognac and can't
stay out of holes, a hyperactive plumber who
pulls out all the stops, an expiringjazzman who
sells his sweat, a green soldier who moves into a
terribly serious position—these are a few of the
outrageous and poignant creations of Boris
Vian in Bliiesfor a Black Cat and Other Stories. Julia
Older makes available for the first time in English
this collection of his short fiction, which was
originally published as Les Fourmis in 1949. It is a
delightful introduction to the work of a muchadmired
French poet, playwright, and songwriter
whose celebrity has continued to grow
since his untimely death in 1959.

These early stories, written in 1944 and 1945,
reveal that Vian was already a master of black
humor, wordpby, elegant understatement, and
leaps of fancy.