"All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered."
Some books demand to be read not only because they pioneered something new, but because, decades later, they remain unmatched in their brilliance. Stanisław Lem’s Solaris is one of those rare works that manages to be both the first of its kind and still the...
In a certain kingdom there lived an old couple in great poverty. Sooner or later the old woman died. It was in winter, in severe and frosty weather. The old man went round to his friends and neighbors, begging them to help him to dig...
There was once an old woman who was a terrible witch, and she had a daughter and a granddaughter. The time came for the old crone to die, so she summoned her daughter and gave her these instructions: “Mind, daughter! when I’m dead, don’t you wash...
In a certain village there lived a husband and wife—lived happily, lovingly, peaceably. All their neighbors envied them; the sight of them gave pleasure to honest folks. Well, the mistress bore a son, but directly after it was born she died. The poor moujik moaned...
Kyoka Izumi, born Kyotaro Izumi on November 4, 1873, in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, was a prominent Japanese novelist, writer, and kabuki playwright active during the prewar period. He is best known for his distinctive style that contrasted with the dominant naturalist literature of his era: his...
In a certain country there lived an old couple who had a daughter called Marusia (Mary). In their village it was customary to celebrate the feast of St. Andrew the First-Called (November 30). The girls used to assemble in some cottage, bake pampushki, and enjoy...
Following next Friday, I'll be publishing some fairytales collected by W.R. Ralston, correspondent of the Imperial Geographical Society for the British Museum. W. R. S. Ralston, M.A.,Of the British Museum,Corresponding Member of the Imperial Geographical SocietyOf Russia, Author of “The Songs of the RussianPeople,” “Krilof and...
During this summer break, I started reading a charming little book I bought in Venice at the remarkable venue Libreria Acqua Alta (High Waters Bookshop): it's a small volume whose title roughly translates to Mysteries of the Lagoon and Tales of Witches, by one Alberto...
Remember Edogawa Ranpo? The Japanese author of horror and thrilller who gave us the strange and haunting Panorama Island. After reading the graphic novel, I read the novel last summer, and apparently it became tradition that I read Japanese horror when I’m on the traditional...
A werewolf story by Alexandre Dumas père. Chapter XXIV: Hunting Down the Were-Wolf Thibault had got well ahead of the dogs, thanks to the precaution he had taken of making good his escape at the first note of the bloodhound. For some time he heard no further sound...
