Supernatural Tales

Pennednbsp;at a time when the literature of the fantastic was at its peak, thisnbsp;chilling collection of eerie tales fuses the fantastic with the decadent,nbsp;creating new artistic forms redolent with satanic imagery, morbid atmospheres, and obsessive notions of decay. Soaked in the intoxicating warmth and aromas of Italian pastoral idylls,nbsp;these stories are also pervaded by eerie or macabre sensations, particularly when the past suddenly intrudes into the life ofnbsp;the protagonists. The storiesnbsp;include "Prince Alberic and the Snake Lady," the tale of a handsome prince who falls for a beautiful woman who may well be a reptile; "A Wedding Chest," a story of love and assassination; "Amour Dure," whichnbsp;tells of Medea Malatesta, a dangerous beauty so compelling that wretches under the torturer's knife remain hopelessly faithful to her; "A Wicked Voice,"nbsp;which concerns a Norwegian composer whose style is corrupted by the ghostly voice of a male soprano;nbsp;"The Legend of Madame Krasinka," the tale of the American wife of a Polish count who is saved from hanging herself by the ghost of a beggar; andnbsp;"The Virgin of the Seven Daggers," an intricate admixture of several elements, part dream within a dream.