The Family of the Vourdalak

This edition contains the gothic novella by the great Russian writer Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy (1817–1875), “The Family of the Vourdalak.”

He is known not only as a brilliant satirical poet, one of the authors of Kozma Prutkov, not only as the writer of historical works, but also as an author of gothic novellas and stories in the style of Prosper Mérimée and E. T. A. Hoffmann.

The work is included in the curricula for grades 5–11 of all education levels—for classroom and home assignments.

“But suddenly, it was as if the door to the room slowly opened, and at the threshold stood Gorch a. I, however, rather suspected this than saw him, because from where he came, it was completely dark. His dimmed eyes—so I seemed—were trying to penetrate my thoughts and watching as my chest rose and fell. Then he took a step, another, and then, with extreme caution, approaching me silently, as if on tiptoe. And there, in a single leap, he was at my bedside. I felt an unspeakable sense of oppression, but an irresistible force held me in place. The old man leaned toward me with his deathly pale face, and so low over me that I could feel his corpse-like breath.”