2025 · 328 pages
Volume two by a master of the strange who was known as, 'The Russian Edgar Allen Poe'. Leonid Nikolaievich Andreyev's writings would influence the works of both Robert E. Howard and H.P Lovecraft. Born in 1871 in Oryol, Russia, Andreyev is considered to be the father of Russian literary expressionism. He was a prodigious author for both novels and short stories and also a highly regarded playwright. Among his twenty- five dramatic works, 'He Who Gets Slapped' (1915) is considered to be his most outstanding contribution. After abandoning his law studies as a young man, Andreyev began his writing career as a journalist. His first short story, 'Bargamont and Garaska'', published in 1889 drew the attention of the renowned author, Maxim Gorky who encouraged Andreyev to henceforth focus on his literary craft. This advice proved propitious, because in 1901 his first collection of stories appeared in print quickly selling 250 thousand copies and elevating him to literary fame in his homeland. Whilst Andreyev supported the revolution of 1917, he believed the rise of Bolshevism would ultimately be disastrous for Russia and he became an exile in Finland. His fortunes thereafter failed and with them his health. Andreyev died in 1919, just 48 years old, of a heart attack, probably precipitated by his anxieties regarding Bolshevik excesses. In retrospect, Leonid Andreyev's influence on Western writers -especially of the fantastic and weird-cannot be over-stated. This volume also includes, 'He: An Unknown Story' and 'Silence' . Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.
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