The Conscript

The book explores the collaborative works of Émile Erckmann and Alexandre Chatrian, French authors known for their military fiction and ghost stories set in rustic environments. Lifelong friends, they began writing together in 1847 but eventually parted ways in the mid-1880s due to a quarrel. Following Chatrian's death in 1890, Erckmann continued to write solo. Their stories, rich in regional culture from Lorraine, gained wider recognition through English translations by Adrian Ross.