The Fate of Carmen

Beginning with Prosper Merimee's 1845 novella, Carmen has been the subject of countless portrayals - from Bizet's 1874 opera, to various dramatic, dance, musical renditions and films. A comparative study of the power and variability of this modern myth through the modern readings that examine the cultural dilemmas posed by the story. Exploring a range of competing representations, the book asks whether Carmen is a dangerous "femme fatale", a liberated women, or, as Nietzsche saw her, a warrior in the vanguard of the battle of the sexes.