Leonid Andreyev

Leonid Nikolaievich Andreyev (1871 - 1919) was a Russian playwright, novelist and short-story writer, who is considered to be a father of Expressionism in Russian literature. He is one of the most talented and prolific representatives of the Silver Age period. Andreyev's style combines elements of realist, naturalist, and symbolist schools in literature. Andreyev's first collection of short stories and short novels (повести) appeared in 1901, quickly selling a quarter-million copies and making him a literary star in Russia. In 1901 he published "Стена" ("The Wall"), and in 1902, "В тумане" ("In the Fog") and "Бездна" ("The Abyss,") which was a response to "The Kreutzer Sonata" by Leo Tolstoy.

Volume one of uncanny tales by, 'The Russian Edgar Allan Poe'. Leonid Nikolaievich Andreyev's writings would infl uence 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 of both novels and short stories and also a highly regarded playwright. Among his twenty fi ve 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 fi rst short story, 'Bargamot 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 fi rst 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 infl uence on Western writers -especially of the fantastic and weird-cannot be over-stated. This volume also includes, 'In The Basement', 'Lazarus' 'Dies Irae'. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.