The Queen of Darkness and Other Stories

by Grazia Deledda, Graham Anderson (Translator)

The ancient traditions of Sardinia feature heavily in this early collection. The stories collected in The Queen of Darkness , published in 1902 shortly after Deledda’s marriage and move to Rome, reflect her transformation from little-known regional writer to an increasingly fêted and successful mainstream author. The two miniature psycho-dramas that open the collection are followed by stories of Sardinian life in the remote hills around her home town of Nuoro. The stark but beautiful countryside is a backdrop to the passions, misadventures and injustices which shape the lives of its rugged but all too human inhabitants.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

140 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2023

About the author

Grazia Maria Cosima Damiana Deledda was an Italian writer who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926 "for her idealistically inspired writings which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island [i.e. Sardinia] and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general". She was the first Italian woman to receive the prize, and only the second woman in general after Selma Lagerlöf was awarded hers in 1909.

Reviews

[Rosamund · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories have a dark tone and a strong distinctive voice. I enjoyed the evocation of rural Sardinia at the end of the 19th century.

[Alaw Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a book in so long and this being my first one in months was so so nice. The prose was lovely and the short stories were written wonderfully. Would recommend to anyone to read.