Nature Stories

Parmée's new translation of Renard's classic, late 19th-century stories (accompanied by ink-blot illustrations by Pierre Bonnard) convey the author's inimitable sensibility and his delight in nature's humor and mystery. Ranging from a few words to a few pages in length, each portrait reads like a prose poem and delivers sharp observations and fanciful stories about everything from bats to birds, autumn leaves to the new moon. Renard's five-word evocation of a flea ("An elastic pinch of snuff") and succinct description of a butterfly ("This love-letter, folded in two, is looking for a flowery address") are among the best shorter entries; of the longer, more elaborate entries, "Fish" and "The End of the Shooting Season" tell rich stories of man's changing and complicated relationship with nature. Taken cumulatively, Renard's tender, wry, and surprising tributes remind us of the millions of creatures and characters in our midst. (Nov.)