A mysterious gentleman arrives at Papa Briquet's circus, and applies to be a clown; unable to do a backflip, and with the circus unwilling to accept the idea of political discourse among the clowns, they settle together on the role of He Who Gets Slapped. Unfortunately for the troupe, He has motives for joining that aren't immediately apparent; motives that start to threaten the integrity of the circus.He Who Gets Slapped was first presented in Moscow in 1915 to enthusiastic audien...

Leonid Andreyev was a Russian playwright and author of short stories and novellas, writing primarily in the first two decades of the 20th century. Matching the depression he suffered from an early age, his writing is always dark of tone with subjects including biblical parables, Russian life, eldritch horror and revolutionary fervour. H. P. Lovecraft was a reader of his work, and The Seven Who Were Hanged (included here) has even been cited as direct inspiration for the assassination of Ar...

The stories in this collection are known for their exploration of psychological and philosophical themes. They often revolve around the human condition, the struggles of life, and the complexities of the human mind. Andreyev's writing is characterized by its introspection and a sense of melancholy."The Crushed Flower, and Other Stories" is considered a classic work of Russian literature, and it includes several well-known stories, such as "The Crushed Flower," which explores the tragedy of...

In Leonid Andreyev's The Waltz of the Dogs, a half-finished apartment becomes the stage for greed, longing, betrayal, and the fragile masks people wear to survive. Carl Tile, a troubled student and gambler, prowls the room in search of money and speaks with chilling candor about debt, resentment, and even murder for profit, while his brother Henry tries to build a future of marriage, music, flowers, and domestic order. Their polished dinner conversations, darkly comic interrogations, and s...

'It was like walking along the knife-edge of the highest possible mountain range, seeing life on one side and death on the other in the form of two deep, gorgeous and gleaming seascapes.'This astonishing novella from 1908, newly translated for Little Black Classics by War and Peace translator Anthony Briggs, probes the emotions and experiences of seven people condemned to death in Tsarist Russia. A powerful and subtle exploration of the morality of capital punishment, it w...

In "The Crushed Flower, and Other Stories," Leonid Andreyev explores the depths of human emotion and the complexities of existence through a series of poignant narratives. His literary style, characterized by a rich, evocative prose and profound psychological insight, presents characters grappling with despair, love, and the impact of fate. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Russia, these tales reflect the turmoil of the times, intertwining existential questions with the raw re...

The novella tells the story of seven political prisoners who are condemned to death by hanging. While awaiting their execution, the prisoners reflect on their lives, crimes, and the impending end. The narrative delves into the psychological and emotional turmoil experienced by the condemned individuals and raises questions about the morality and ethics of the death penalty.Leonid Andreyev was a prominent Russian writer known for his works that often explored dark and existential themes. "T...

Leonid Nikolaievich Andreyev was born on 21st August in Oryol, Russia to a middle-class family of Polish, Ukranian and Finnish ancestry.He studied law in Moscow before working as a police-court reporter for a daily newspaper. His literary efforts at this time were confined to poetry and those he did try to get published were all rejected.In 1898 his first short story ‘Bargamot and Garaska’, published in the ‘Kurier’ newspaper caught the attention and friendship of Maxim Gor...

Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society.In literature the ambition is much narrower. In order to be known, to be popular, you had to be published. And for that people had to know you existed and your ideas worth reading. Obviously for most of humanity’s time people couldn’t read and texts couldn’t be publishe...

In "Satan's Diary," Leonid Andreyev delves into the profound complexities of human existence through the lens of the devil himself. This innovative narrative, written in an introspective and confessional style, offers readers a surreal yet harrowing exploration of morality, anguish, and the enigmatic nature of evil. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Russian existentialism, the work employs rich symbolism and psychological depth, reflecting Andreyev's fascination with the human...

Build programs that give users full control of their applications in order to meet end users' unique needs and scenarios.Over the last couple of decades, there has been an ongoing quandary in the developer world. Developers are enlisted to build applications to meet users’ demands; users get applications that meet the criteria from the developers’ point of view, but they are far from what the users envisioned. The difference is often wide and nearly catastrophic in fields where use...

Satan's DiaryBy Leonid AndreyevNarrated by John Burlinson.Satan's Diary, Andreyev’s last work, was completed a few days before he died in Finland in September, 1919.In this absorbing satire Andreyev gives vent to his extreme disillusionment about the intrinsic venality of man. Having assumed the form of an American multi-millionaire, Satan sets out on a tour through Europe in quest of amusement and adventure. He observes a panopoly of subversive and hypocrit...