When Paul d'Aspremont travels to Naples to join Alicia Ward, his beautiful fiancee, he is surprised to see her grow pale under his gaze, and to discover that an Italian suitor, Count Altavilla, is trying to win her affections. Soon the strange gestures and whispers of the locals convince him - against his better judgement - that indeed he has the evil eye, and that he must resort to extreme measures if he wants to shield Alicia from its deadly effects. This 1856 novella from the master of fantasy and the supernatural, featuring one of the most hauntingly surreal denouements in nineteenth-century fiction, is a brilliant and witty examination of man's innermost fantasies and fears.

Only single-volume edition of a neglected literary gem, described by the Guardian as a 'post-modernist avant la lettre'.

About the Author
The French poet, dramatist, novelist and short-story writer Theophile Gautier (1811-72) was one of the central figures of French Romantic literature and the author of influential works of fiction in the supernatural genre.

Reviews
"An eerie little masterpiece about a rationalist gradually persuaded of the existence of the irrational." - Gilbert Adair



Book Information
ISBN 9781847498359
Author Theophile Gautier
Format Paperback
Page Count 128
Imprint Alma Classics
Publisher Alma Books Ltd