The Murderess

Renowned as the inventor of modern Greek fiction, Alexandros Papadiamantis is a magical mythmaker and unflinching realist whose work looks forward to that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Murderess is a bone-chilling book with the force of an Appalachian backwoods ballad. The Murderess is the story of old Hadoula, a peasant woman from the island of Skiathos-in the nineteenth century, when the story is set, as bitterly poor a place as anywhere on earth. Old Hadoula knows the burdens of women's lives and she knows the herbs that can remedy them; over the years many women have come to her in secret for help. She is both an outcast and a fixture of the community, and as the book begins she is trying to get her newborn granddaughter to stop crying so that her daughter can get some sleep. That's when it hits her: there's nothing worse than being born a woman-and she strangles the baby. This first killing is not the last, as old Hadoula unleashes the pentup fury and pity of a life in this stark tragedy of stunning force.

“"...this chillingly beautiful work should win for Papadiamantis the new English readers he certainly deserves." --Arts & Book Review "Certain poets like Constantine Cavafy, George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis have responded positively to his writings. They have especially expressed appreciation for his distinctive use of language, powers of simple narration and masterly blending of the cruel exigencies and exquisite natural surroundings of a way of life that resonates with folkways, myth and religious sensibility. With his place among Greece's modern writers now secure, Papadiamantis merits the attention of the larger audience that translation into English gives him. His novella,The Murderess…should be required readingR30;" -George Economou,The New York Times "The narrative unfolds with a retrospective reticence that is stunning, and concludes with a passion whose dramatic simplicity is enthralling."-Stathis Gourgouris "Promises a study of defeat in the Hardy tradition…"-Los Angeles Times An "exquisite novelist…"-M.J. Politis, The New York Times "the greatest Modern Greek prose writer" -Milan Kundera "The 'saint' of modern Greek letters...Papadiamantis wrote with graphic realism and unequalled passion..." -Times Literary Supplement "It is books such asThe Murderesswhich remind us of the miraculous nature of prose fiction." -Gabriel Josipovichi "Papadiamantis's characters portray in miniature the eternal passions of man-jealousies, loves, ambitions, hatred, murders, and misfortunes-in an almost hieratic movement, like the rhythm of a chorus in tragedy, scarcely perceptible but sufficient to suggest the deeper, the pure nature of the world. Therein lies the magic of Papadiamantis." -Odysseus Elytis "An excellent opportunity for those who do not read Greek to sample a novel from the pen of one of Greece's finest modern prose writers…a powerful and disturbing story which will haunt you." -Greek Review International "Alexandros Papadiamantis is Greece's foremost prose writer. In his novellas and stories he presents a universal picture through the microcosm of the tight-knit society of a Greek village on a remote island. Papadiamantis is a clear-eyed realist, but woven into his stories are village magic, vestiges of myth and ancient lore, and the dour superstitions that governed the daily life of the Greek peasant. His plots are at times touched by a magic realism reminiscent of MÁrquez." -Peter Constantine,Conjunctions”

Macabre and chilling like the darkest fairy tale. Glasgow Herald The novel has an elemental power: earthy, sharp and brittle. Literary Review

Alexandros Papadiamantis (1851-1911) was a Greek writer and translator who was born on the island of Skiathos. He wrote throughout his life on the island, publishing newspaper articles, short stories, and serialized novels, but remained a recluse until his death. Peter Levi (1931-2000) was a poet, travel writer, biographer, and Fellow of St. Catherine's College, Oxford. He was widely known for his translations from the Greek.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.