The Vampire

Long before Bram Stoker wrote his «Dracula», Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy created a masterpiece of Russian gothic fiction.

«The Upyr» is a nested tale. It is both a mystical detective story and a grim Italian legend about a cursed bloodline, as well as a psychological thriller. The author skillfully plays with the reader: until the very end, together with the main character, Runyevsky, we wonder—are living dead truly at work around them, or is it all the product of a sick imagination and a chain of terrifying coincidences? Brilliant language, a chilling atmosphere of ancient estates, and an unpredictable ending.