The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter. Stories and Parables
Please sign in so that we can notify you about a reply
Ambrose Bierce was classified as a classic of American literature in the mid-20th century, long after the writer had passed away. He would probably be surprised to learn that his fame came from dark and cynically themed stories and tales in the style of "gothic prose." Around a dozen of his works have become part of the golden fund of American classics. Ambrose wrote them more for a narrow circle of admirers than for the general public, as he was primarily known as a talented journalist who harshly criticized the vices of American society at the end of the 19th century. Ambrose lost the remnants of his youthful romanticism during the Civil War, in which he volunteered as a soldier, coming from a poor, large farmer family. Bierce went through all the major battles, witnessed the senselessness of sacrifices, and settled in San Francisco. His pride prevented him from returning to his previous random jobs, so Bierce retired as an officer. His talent as a writer helped him find his own independent path in life.
The future writer's father had a good library, through which Ambrose became acquainted with literary classics. Later, he made his own contribution to it by becoming the author of concise innovative prose that had a significant influence on the development of American "dark literature." An American writer, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, became a follower of Bierce on this path, whose works are also filled with horror, mysticism, and fatalism. Bierce's story "The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter," which opens this collection, is imbued with their influence and is considered one of the pinnacles of "gothic literature." In the end of his life, the writer, who had an obstinate and independent character, in a sense became one of his fatalistic characters. Bierce did not want to face old age and, at the age of seventy, crossed the border into revolutionary Mexico, where he disappeared without a trace in its flames. Perhaps it is not without reason that one of his stories was titled "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."
The book is illustrated by the drawings of the contemporary St. Petersburg artist Tatiana Kosach. She graduated from the historical faculty of St. Petersburg State University and is a specialist in medieval art. Her iconographic and graphic works can be found in private collections of art lovers in Russia, the USA, Italy, and France. In the series "Library of World Literature," her illustrations adorn the novels "An American Tragedy," "The Financier," "The Titan," "The Stoic" by Theodore Dreiser, "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak, and "The White Guard" by Mikhail Bulgakov.
Author:
Author:Birs A.
Cover:
Cover:hardcover
Category:
- Category:Fiction
Publication language:
Publication Language:Russian
Paper:
Paper:offset
Dimensions:
Dimensions:24x17x2.5 cm
Series:
Series:Library of World Literature
Age restrictions:
Age restrictions:16+
ISBN:
ISBN:978-5-9603-0956-1
No reviews found