Hombres fatales

Of the many fabulous creatures that have populated literature and cinema, the femme fatale is one of the most recurrent and protean of the last two centuries, although she is part of an ancient lineage that goes back to the inconstant classic Helena that motivated the Trojan War or the reckless biblical Eve that condemned all of humanity. Through the analysis of literary characters-from Carmen to Lolita-or film characters-Madeleine from Vertigo and Conchita from That Obscure Object of Desire-, the author examines the myth of the fearsome femme fatale starting from a change of perspective: and if, rather than attesting to the disastrous character of certain women, the stereotype betrayed a singularly unlucky representation of masculine desire? As in a plot of intrigue, this book invites the reader to follow the trail of the men behind these mythical women, whom tradition has perhaps singled out only to divert attention and hide the most crucial evidence.