Abstract: Mérimée’s work makes it possible to develop a notion of the multifunctionality of the modern preface. He uses it with a sense of brevity that befits it and with a knack for persuasion, a consummate “scientific knowledge” of his readership: whether he tries to deceive his reader or opts for a friendly conversation with him, his preface is always a way of facilitating a certain reception of his work, clearly directing this reception, and inviting the reader along on an intellectual adventure.
