Short Fiction

Xavier de Maistre, a military man by trade, penned his most famous work, "A Journey Round My Room," during a six-week arrest in 1790. This whimsical novella, a clever parody of the era's popular travelogues, chronicles his 'expedition' across the uncharted territory of his own chamber, encountering furniture, paintings, and even the mysterious 'north side' with the faux-gravitas of a seasoned explorer. His modest literary output also includes "The Leper of the City of Aosta," a poignant philosophical dialogue on suffering; "The Prisoners of the Caucasus," an adventure narrative set amidst warring Cossack factions; and "The Young Siberian," the true story of a young girl's epic quest to secure an imperial pardon for her exiled father.