Weird Women

Weird Women (Les Diaboliques) is a collection of six short stories by French novelist and critic Jules-Amédée Barbey d’Aurevilly, often considered his masterpiece. Published in 1874, these tales are characterized by their focus on morbid passions and bizarre crimes, typically set against the backdrop of Normandy.1

Barbey d’Aurevilly, a proud Norman and royalist, was also known for his influential role in literary criticism and social fashion during his time in Paris. He was a staunch opponent of democracy and materialism, adhering to an unorthodox Roman Catholicism. His critical work, though sometimes arbitrary, recognized the talents of authors like Honoré de Balzac and Charles Baudelaire when they were not widely appreciated.1