The Spider

by Hanns Heinz Ewers

"When the student of medicine, Richard Bracquemont, decided to move into room #7 of the small Hotel Stevens, Rue Alfred Stevens (Paris 6), three persons had already hanged themselves from the cross-bar of the window in that room on three successive Fridays." The last of them was a police sergeant who had volunteered to sleep in the room to learn what happens that might explain the hangings, and somehow he met with the same fate. The medical student was aware of these incidents, but...

"There was one detail about which he knew nothing because neither the police inspector nor any of the eyewitnesses had mentioned it to the press. It was only later, after what happened to the medical student, that anyone remembered that when the police removed Sergeant Charles-Maria Chaumié's body from the window cross-bar a large black spider crawled from the dead man's open mouth. A hotel porter flicked it away, exclaiming, 'Ugh, another of those damned creatures.'"

Thus begins this bizarre mystery of "The Spider."

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Mystery, Gothic, German Literature

44 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1915

About the author

Hanns Heinz Ewers (1871-1943) was a German actor, poet, philosopher, and writer of short stories and novels. While he wrote on a wide range of subjects, he is today known chiefly for his works of horror, particularly his trilogy of novels centered around the adventures of Frank Braun, a character modeled not too loosely on himself.

Reviews

[Cecily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first sentence mentions a puzzling suicide in a small Paris hotel - and two others in the same room, by the same method, at 6pm on the two subsequent Fridays. If spiders and suicide are not major triggers for you, it’s a well-written, compelling, and unsettling psychological story.

Most of it comprises diary entries of Bracquemont, a medical student, who stays in the room, with regular check-ins to and from the police commissioner. He’s hoping to solve the mystery and make money by doing so.

It’s all very ordinary, but gradually, the reader’s unease grows. After more than a week, with no inclination to death, he mentions a bewitching woman, spinning fine thread, in a room across the street. He dubs her Clarimonde, which is not a good omen (it’s the title of a story by Théophile Gautier that you can read HERE). He waves. She waves back. He wipes his brow. She echoes the gesture. Sweet. At first.


Image: “Maman”, huge spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois at jardin des Tuileries, Paris in 2008 (Source)


Thereafter, it’s a descent through obsession into madness. The reader infers far more than the medical student seems to, which creates an interesting dynamic.

Spiders

A supernatural tale of a spider makes one think of Arachne, but in many ways, Ewers turns Ovid’s story on its head.

More fundamentally, why is arachnophobia so deeply ingrained, across time and around the globe, when in many countries, spiders are harmless?


Image: Gustave Doré's drawing of Arachne for an 1868 edition of Dante's Purgatorio (Source)


Separating a creator from their work

I’m glad I read this before I knew anything about the author. Manguel’s introduction added problematic layers to unpack:

For Hanns Heinz Ewers, the spider became a symbol of the sadistic powers of the Third Reich, which he admired. He believed that the artist's mind needed to be 'poisoned in order to produce works of art’...

The triumph of primitive destructive forces is a theme of Ewers' fiction, which was praised by the Nazis. However, after the publication of a fictionalized biography of the Nazi 'martyr' Horst Wessel, he fell out of favour, was accused of choosing a 'Jewish aesthetic', and was placed on the Nazis' 'List of Harmful and Undesirable Authors'. Whatever Ewers' allegiances, his fiction describes but refuses to defend the powers of evil. It is as if, by obeying secret laws, Ewers' writing reaches beyond his obscene politics and denounces its own creator.

Wikipedia says he was “attracted by its nationalism, its Nietzschean moral philosophy, and its cult of Teutonic culture” but that he rejected anti-Semitism, was gay, and soon fell out with the Nazis, dying before the war ended.

Ewers doesn’t profit from anyone reading this, and I don’t see any hateful views within. However, should you prefer a different version, his story is heavily inspired by Erckmann-Chatrian’s 1857 story, The Invisible Eye, although there are significant differences too, and Erckmann-Chatrian’s story has different issues, principally ingrained misogyny. You can read it HERE.

Short story club

I read this in Black Water 2: More Tales of the Fantastic, by Alberto Manguel, from which I’m reading one story a week with The Short Story Club, starting 24 March 2025.

You can read this story HERE.

You can join the group here.

[Semjon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diese kurze Novelle aus dem Jahr 1915 ist wirklich beeindruckend. Ich hatte von dem Autor noch nie gehört und wurde erst durch eine Leserunde auf ihn aufmerksam. Nach meinem Empfinden ist sie absolut bestechend in Bezug auf die Sogwirkung, die die Erzählung gegen Ende hin entwickelt.

In einer Pension geschahen an drei aufeinanderfolgenden Freitagen zur gleichen Uhrzeit in einem bestimmten Zimmer Selbstmorde der männlichen Einzelgäste. Alle erhängt, alle identisch in ihrem Anblick mit heraushängender Zunge an der Gardienenschnur. Ein Medizinstudent erklärt sich letztlich bereit, das Zimmer zu beziehen und führt über seine Erlebnisse Tagebuch. Daraufhin wechselt die Erzählweise in die Ich-Person. Der Student entdeckt eine geheimnisvolle Frau im Fenster auf der anderen Straßenseite und dann nimmt das Unheil seinen Lauf. Das ist unheimlich eindringlich geschrieben und steigert sich fast schon am Ende in einer orgastischen Zustand. Atemberaubend und mysteriös. Kein Geschichte für Arachnophobiker. 🕷

[Aishu Rehman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely predictable, really. A man notices a male spider wooing a female spider and being consumed after mating. Soon after, he begins a strange hand gesture game with a woman across the street. In the end, he finds himself caught up in her web.

I'm sure, at the time of writing, this was novel and shocking, but for a modern reader, it's just barely adequate.

[Meike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so this is apparently a classic German horror story, but frankly, I found its oh-so-scandalous contrived eroticism mainly silly (I've recently read Greenwell's fantastic, semi-pornographic Cleanness, and in comparison, this faux-raunchy tale seems pretty ridiculous). In it, student Richard Bracquemont moves into a hotel room in Paris in order to find out why the three guys occupying it before him killed themselves. What he expriences there is presented in the form of a diary. Bracquemont makes contact with a mysterious woman named Clarimonde who sits behind the window on the opposite side of the street, and again and again, they indulge in a game in which they repeat each other's hand movements. The student is spellbound, he starts to feel dependent on Clarimonde, and the fear the growing tension instills in him arouses him - until the situation escalates...

Of course, this is all a thinly veiled story about sexual subjugation and masochism. At the very beginning, the protagonist sees a female spider eating its male counterpart after mating, Clarimonde holds a distaff (German: Spinnrocken - "spider" translates as "Spinne"), you get the idea. The student gets entangled in a web of fear and lust, he and Clarimonde "play" for days, he enjoys being defeated, blah blah blah...it's predictable and boring, it doesn't offer much depth, and it's certainly not creepy.

So if you want to read a classic horror story originally written in German and centering on the motif of the spider, read Gotthelf's The Black Spider - it isn't creepy either, but at least it's a masterpiece of German/Swiss Biedermeier that has a lot to say about its time and setting.

[J K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncanny little story, quite a Lovecraftian atmosphere but just as much in common with a bit of new weird. Too short to risk spoiling, but well worth a look. Also, don't stay in THAT room. D'oh. If you like creepy diaries, this is definitely for you.

[Yeferzon Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime. Uno de los mejores relatos de terror que he leído.

[Steffi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nach vielen Jahre erneut gelesen und die Sogwirkung ist immer noch überragend. Es handelt sich sicher um die beste Geschichte Ewers' und sie speist sich aus Motiven wie Femmes fatales und Vampiren wie auch von der sich verbreitenden Psychoanalyse und deren Sichtweise auf die menschliche Sexualität. Gleichzeitig kann ich sie kaum mit einer anderen mir bekannten Geschichte vergleichen.

[Hendrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inhaltlich knüpft "Die Spinne" an den Mythos der männermordenden Femme fatale an. In einem Pariser Hotelzimmer haben sich an drei aufeinander folgenden Freitagen, drei Männer am Fensterkreuz erhängt. Ein junger Medizinstudent bietet sich der Polizei als Helfer an und zieht selbst in das Zimmer. Kurz darauf gerät er in den Bann einer mysteriösen Frau, die im Haus gegenüber wohnt. Spinnen spielen eine wesentliche Rolle in dieser unheimlichen Geschichte. Eine Tierart, die es seit jeher vermag bei vielen Menschen Ekel und Panik hervorzurufen. Das bürgt insofern für ein ausreichendes Maß an Schauergefühl und Unbehagen. Was die Beziehung zwischen dem Studenten und der Frau von gegenüber angeht, von ihm Clarimonde getauft, sind die sexuellen Untertöne darin kaum zu überlesen. Eine dominante Frauenfigur schlägt den jungen, unerfahrenen Studenten in ihren Bann. Macht ihn zu ihrem devoten Männchen. Die Spirale der Abhängigkeit dreht sich immer schneller, bis zum orgastischen Finale. Eine wirklich gut aufgebaute Gruselgeschichte, die mannigfaltige psychologische Deutungsmöglichkeiten enthält. Dr. Freud wäre begeistert.

[Jim Ef · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.2/10
You might guess from early on where this is going, but because its very well written you still get a thrilling experience reading this.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

বহুদিন আগে, ব্যারাকপুরের বুক কর্নার থেকে কেনা একটা সস্তা ভূতের গল্পের বইয়ে, এই গল্পটার সঙ্গে আমার প্রথম দেখা হয়। লেখকের নাম মনে নেই, এবং তিনিও "না বলিয়া পরের দ্রব্য" হরণ করার মতো করে গল্পটা যে বিদেশি গল্পের কপি-পেস্ট তা কোথাও লেখেননি। ওই বইয়ে মারকাটারি আরও কিছু গল্প ছিল, যার কোনোটা রল্ট, কোনোটা সোয়েইন, এমনকি ডিকেন্স থেকে 'ঝাড়া'। তবে এই "শ্বেতাঙ্গ শিশুকে আপন বলিয়া দাবি করা" কেসটা আমি বুঝেছিলাম অনেক পরে, বড়ো হয়ে, মূল লেখাগুলো পড়তে গিয়ে।
ইন্টারেস্টিং ব্যাপার হল, মাথা কাঁচা বা পাকা যে অবস্থাতেই থাকুক না কেন, এই বিশেষ গল্পটা আমাকে দু'বারই ভ্যাবলা করে ছেড়ে দিয়েছিল।
কেন?
সুধী পাঠক হয়তো জানেন, এই গল্পটা কী নিয়ে। প্যারি-র একটি বিশেষ ফ্ল্যাটে একের পর এক বাসিন্দা আত্মহত্যা করছে। পুলিশ কোনো কারণ খুঁজে পাচ্ছে না। বাড়ির মালিক ভাড়া কমিয়েও নতুন ভাড়াটে পাচ্ছেন না। হেনকালে এক ছাত্র, যার পয়সার টানাটানি লেগেই থাকে, প্ল্যান করল সে ওই ফ্ল্যাটে থাকবে। পুলিশ তাকে অনুমতি দিল, কারণ সে দাবি করেছিল, সে জানে ঠিক কী ঘটছে ওই ফ্ল্যাটে।
তারপর কী হল?
গল্পটা এখনও পড়ে আমার এটাই মনে হয়, একটিও তথাকথিত প্রাপ্তবয়স্ক শব্দ ব্যবহার না করেও লেখক আজ থেকে একশো বছর আগের একটি গল্পে মনের কত অন্ধকার, কত টান, কত ক্ষুধা মিশিয়ে দিতে পেরেছিলেন! সর্বোপরি, গল্পের শেষটা পড়ে আমার আজও ব্যালকনিতে দাঁড়াতে একটু ভয় করে, পাছে...
নাহ! পাছে কী হয়, সেটা আর আমি লিখছি না। এই ঝমঝমে বর্ষায় গল্পটাই না হয় পড়ে ফেলুন আজ।

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine Gruselgeschichte mit Biss - und das ganz ohne Vampire! In einem Hotel in Paris geschehen merkwürdige Dinge: Immer freitags am Spätnachmittag erhängen sich die Gäste eines bestimmten Zimmers am Fenster. Ein Student will der Sache nachgehen, bezieht den Raum und hält seine Erlebnisse in einem Tagebuch fest. Sehr fesselnd bis zum Schluss.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror of the oldest standard, not your modern style. Similar to Edgar Allen Poe and this author was compared to him in his time (this story was first published in 1915). Five stars for what it is relative to its time and that it is well-written for any time. If only modern Horror writers better understood the mechanics of tension and fear like the old masters, and didn't instead rely so much on, violence, gore, or erratic plot twists.

[Skylar Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the outcome of the story is very obvious and overly foreshadowed, the idea and epistolary execution of the narrative gets full marks in my opinion. The feel of the story screams old European horror, and the antique atmosphere gives the story a sense of originality but I personally can’t help but imagine how cool it would be to see this classic rewritten with some modern changes and more mystery and macabre themes. Somebody please write that... for me... :)

[Tristram Shandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ich bin da, um zu tun, was sie will, Clarimonde, die ich liebe in köstlicher Angst.!

Der Name Hanns Heinz Ewers war mir bislang nur als Filmliebhaber geläufig, denn er schrieb das Drehbuch zu dem 1913 von Paul Wegener inszenierten Gruselfilm Der Student von Prag. Von Ewers‘ schriftstellerischem Werk hingegen hatte ich mir bislang noch keinen Eindruck verschafft, so daß ich mit einiger Neugierde begann, die Erzählung Die Spinne zu lesen, die in einer Lesegruppe für den Gruselmonat November ausgewählt wurde.

In der Geschichte geht es um einen Medizinstudenten, der sich in einem Hotelzimmer einmietet, in dem in drei aufeinanderfolgenden Wochen drei andere Männer jeweils zur selben Stunde auf die gleiche Weise Selbstmord begangen haben. Der Student spekuliert zum einen auf freie Kost und Logis, wenn er sich anerbietet, das Rätsel, an dem die Polizei gescheitert war, zu lösen, doch zum anderen treibt ihn auch morbides Interesse, sich mit der Sache zu beschäftigen. Schon bald bemerkt er in einem Zimmer auf der gegenüberliegenden Straßenseite eine junge Frau, die mit immerwährendem Spinnen beschäftigt ist und die sich langsam auf seine zunächst nur zaghaft durch die Scheibe über die Straße hinweg erfolgenden Annäherungsversuche einläßt.

Die geheimnisvolle Frau als übernatürliche Femme fatale, als lockende und letztlich todbringende Versuchung, der sich der Mann mit einer Mischung aus Grauen und Wollust hingibt – da hüpft der Psycholog sicher vor Freud im Kreis herum und freut sich auf tiefschürfendes, assoziatives Analysieren. Die Geschichte, die recht nüchtern mit einem Überblick über die ersten drei Selbstmorde und ihre Folgen für die Besitzerin des kleinen Hotels beginnt, entfaltet alsbald eine faszinierende Sogkraft, nicht unähnlich der, der sich der Student ausgesetzt sieht, nachdem sich zwischen ihm und der unbekannten Frau aus dem Haus gegenüber eine wortlose Beziehung entsponnen hat. Ewers läßt im Hauptteil der Geschichte den Protagonisten selbst zu Wort kommen, in der Form eines Tagesbuches, dessen Eindrücke zusehends von der Veränderung im Denken und Fühlen des Schreibenden Zeugnis ablegen. Man wird nicht überrascht vom Ende, denn der Zeichen und Andeutungen gibt es viele, zumal der Student selbst sein Schicksal vorausgeahnt haben dürfte, doch trotzdem ist Die Spinne eine intensive Leseerfahrung, die ich nicht nur voller Anspannung, sondern auch mit einem leichten Gefühl des Widerwillens gegen den so leicht zu betörenden Protagonisten gelesen habe. Wenn diese Geschichte repräsentativ für Ewers ist, werde ich sicher noch die eine oder andere Geschichte von ihm lesen.

[Dhanaraj Rajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mysterious Room in a hotel in Paris. There deaths occur on particular day of the week and at a particular time. In spite of that, inmates are ready to come only to prove that they are strong enough to face the threat and to prove it false. Such an attempt is made by a medical student in collaboration with the local police. The police are interested in finding out the mystery behind the deaths. What happens to that student? Did he escape? Or was he a victim? If at all he found out anything what was it?

The answer: Go and read it. It is just 23 pages long story. And I got it freely as I shopped books for my Aldiko Book Reader.

This story belongs to the genre of horror. And Ewers was compared to Edger Alan Poe. The story truly evokes the feeling of horror. It is not the horror that chills you with fear. But it s a kind of horror that takes control of you. In other words, you may be tempted to die like the victims in the story.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8WlO...

Although somewhat predictable in its plot, this classic is still totally worth a read or listen. Beautifully written and narrated, the slow build-up toward the climax had me frozen in place, knowing the inevitable was about to occur, but unable to look away and left wondering ultimately, was it the spider's venom that made him do it? A psychological break? Or something even more sinister...?

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title for this creepy story (which is about the power —and horror— of fascination) more or less gives everything away.

So much foreshadowing! So many on-the-nose details, as we watch "Clarimonda" spin her delicately fine thread.

The ending is predictable, although the reader must wonder how and when we are to arrive at the destination.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly one of the best short stories I've ever read, particularly of the horror genre. I absolutely loved this story, so inspirational, loved the style of which it was written too. I have never heard of this story outside of "H.P Lovecraft's book of horror" anthology and I am struggling as to why?

[David Segovia · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este relato, Ewers pone de manifiesto los limites del amor y la obsesión, como estos pueden irse intercambiando producto de las influencias macabras de ilusiones que van mas allá de la cordura.

En primer lugar, se narra la historia de un Hotel, en el cual sucedieron 3 suicidios muy similares, en donde a pesar de que las victimas tenían una vida realizada y relativamente holgada, fueron encontrados totalmente destruidos y devastados. Es en ese instante, donde el Joven Richard Bracquemont, tras una serie de argucias, logra engañar a la policía y organizar un plan para resolver el misterio de dichas muertes.

Una vez instalado, todo transcurre en normalidad el primer viernes, fecha en que ocurrieron las demás muertes, sin embargo, conforme avanzan los días, el deterioro mental del personaje es evidente. El punto de inflexión ocurre cuando contempla a una siniestra figura femenina que habita la edificación que da al frente de su ventana.

Richard se considera como una persona poco sentimental, sin embargo, la constante interacción a la distancia con esa musa siniestra lo hará cambiar profundamente, sintiendo un amor profundo hacia ella, un amor extraño pero hermoso. Esta nueva relación lo llevara a sentirse atraído y seducido por el abismo, llegando a sincronizar movimientos y pensamientos con este ente con un fin malévolo y terrible para la integridad del estudiante Richard.

En conclusión es un relato preciso y consistente, que te da lugar a imaginar la naturaleza desconocida o natural de este ente macabro, pudo ser un ente maligno que drenaba las energías positivas de los huéspedes o solo una araña altamente venenosa que atacaba a sus victimas en la habitación del hotel dejándolos al borde del delirio y locura?

[Franky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m seriously wondering how this story is not more widely known or recognized. I found it quite happenstance, but I’m glad I purchased it as it is quite cheap on Amazon Kindle. I can’t vouch for H.P. Lovecraft, as I have not read him yet (but I hopefully will), but I hear many people comparing “The Spider” with his works.

I have read Blackwood, though, and “The Spider” did remind me a bit of Algernon Blackwood in its “weirdness” and atmosphere. It is a story that really goes from a mild Point A, to a concerned Point B, to an unsettling Point C, to a creepy and unrelenting Point D. There comes a time when there is an all-consuming element to this story that grips you as much as it does the resident of Room #7. Once in, there is literally no turning back.

I think what really sells any scary, horror type story is either the atmosphere or the feeling one gets afterwards upon reflecting on the said story. If a story stays with you, and you think about its terrible possibilities or implications, it has done its job. If it “gets under your skin” so to speak, it has done its job.

And, “The Spider” does, and then some.

This is a creepy little tale, probably best reserved for Halloween night or something similar. I can honestly say that I’m sure this story has been the source or inspiration for many modern horror tales, horror films or other supernatural stories. In those twenty-three odd pages, Ewers really creates a memorable and chilling tale that is one of the better horror tales out there. I’m just glad I read it during the daytime.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nada tan romántico para San Valentín como un libro que pensé que me asustaría. Por suerte no fue así.

Si bien le tengo mucho miedo a los arácnidos, el relato no versaba sobre ellos, al menos no directamente. Cuando lo empecé esperaba encontrarme una suerte de Aragog oculta en esa habitación, enredando a los hombres en su telaraña para drenarles los fluidos y finalmente hacer una puesta en escena para simular un suicidio. Me ha encantado darme cuenta de que eso es exactamente lo que pasa, aunque de forma mucho más sutil. Clarimonde es mucho peor que Aragog, porque es atrayente en lugar de repulsiva, y en lugar de drenar fluidos drena la voluntad de su presa.

Me recordó, por el diseño de su ropa y por sus maneras tan tentadoras a una viuda negra americana.

Por otro lado también está Richard, un personaje que me cae bien desde el inicio, tiene una meta y está decidido a cumplirla; hasta que se "enamora" Es interesante como pasa de no saber lo que siente, a preguntarse y luego convencerse de que eso es el amor; y no lo culpo, porque su conclusión se ve reforzada por la preminencia que su misteriosa vecina va tomando en su vida.

Hubiera querido que el comisario llegara un poco antes.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the form of a diary, this short tale takes place in a boarding room, where recent residents have repeatedly hung themselves on the curtain cords, a black spider is repeatedly seen exiting the mouths of the victims. A young student decides to debunk this nonsense and persuades the local constabulary to occupy the room, whereby he becomes transfixed by the vision of the nocturnal beauty in the window opposite. She has a strange otherworldly insect-like manner, and is dressed entirely in black, her mesmeric presence completely hypnotises him and he becomes like a puppet, subject to move and gesticulate through the window at her whim. Eventually she manipulates him into hanging himself. Upon discovery a gigantic black spider with livid purple spots is found crushed between his jaws.

Has a decadent vibe to it, and elements of ETA Hoffmann at times. Recommended reading for fans of horror and weird lit.

[The Blog Without a Face · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the annals of horror literature, few names evoke as much intrigue and unease as Hanns Heinz Ewers. A writer, poet, actor, and philosopher, Ewers carved a place for himself in the early 20th-century horror landscape with his unique blend of decadence, mysticism, and psychological horror. Among his works, The Spider (1915) stands as one of his most compelling and insidious short stories. Now, on its 110th anniversary, it’s time to reexamine this tale—a masterclass in creeping dread and hypnotic horror that still ensnares its readers in a web of existential terror.

Ewers remains a deeply controversial figure, not just for his contributions to horror fiction but also for his political entanglements. Born in 1871 in Düsseldorf, Germany, Ewers was a man of many artistic pursuits. He was fascinated by decadence, the occult, and the interplay between the human psyche and external malevolent forces. A self-styled “literary sorcerer,” he was deeply influenced by Edgar Allan Poe and frequently explored themes of possession, insanity, and supernatural predation.

His legacy is complicated by his early involvement with the Nazi Party, a connection that ultimately led to his downfall when he fell out of favor with the regime. Despite this, his literary influence is undeniable—H.P. Lovecraft and Thomas Ligotti both echo elements of Ewers’ uniquely unsettling vision.

At its core, The Spider is a tale of obsession, psychological manipulation, and an unknown horror lurking just beyond the veil of human understanding. The story follows Richard Bracquemont, a medical student who voluntarily takes up residence in a cursed room where three previous occupants have hanged themselves under eerily similar circumstances.

Initially skeptical of any supernatural cause, Bracquemont documents his stay in the room with the detached curiosity of a scientist. However, as the days pass, he becomes increasingly enraptured by a mysterious woman in a neighboring window—Clarimonda—who seems to mirror his every movement. What begins as a game of observation spirals into something far more sinister as Bracquemont slowly loses control of his own will.

By the time his inevitable demise arrives, the horror has shifted from external to internal. The final revelation—that Bracquemont dies with a massive black spider crushed between his teeth—seals the story’s central theme: a mind fully ensnared, destroyed by an unseen force that exerts total control over its prey.

Ewers was a master of layering horror with psychological depth, and The Spider is rich with symbolic meaning. Here are some of the most compelling themes:

Hypnosis and Mind Control: The story operates on the premise that external forces—be they supernatural or psychological—can completely override human agency. Clarimonda’s silent influence over Bracquemont mirrors the phenomenon of mesmerism, a popular fascination in the early 20th century. The slow erosion of his will is what makes the horror so profoundly unsettling.

The Fatal Attraction of the Abyss: There’s an existential horror at play in The Spider, one reminiscent of Nietzsche’s famous warning: “If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” Bracquemont’s obsession with Clarimonda begins as a casual curiosity but soon spirals into an all-consuming fatal attraction.

The Feminine as Predatory Force: Ewers taps into the archetype of the femme fatale but elevates it to cosmic horror. Clarimonda, named after Théophile Gautier’s vampiric temptress, is both alluring and deadly. She ensnares Bracquemont as a spider does its prey, a metaphor made literal in the story’s chilling final image.

The Uncanny and Doppelgänger Effect: The mirroring behavior between Bracquemont and Clarimonda evokes the eerie sensation of the ‘double’—an entity that both fascinates and horrifies. It suggests that the protagonist’s destruction is not just at the hands of an external force, but rather the unveiling of something dormant within himself.

Ewers’ prose in The Spider is methodical, clinical, and disturbingly immersive. By presenting the story as Bracquemont’s personal journal, Ewers lures the reader into a false sense of security, as though they are simply observing a psychological case study. However, the first-person perspective also ensures that as Bracquemont’s mind unravels, so too does the reader’s grip on reality. The pacing is deliberate, mirroring the gradual tightening of a noose. Small, seemingly innocuous details—a glance exchanged, a mirrored gesture—accumulate until the horror becomes inescapable. There’s a fever-dream quality to the latter half of the story, where logic dissolves into pure compulsion. The ending, abrupt and horrifying, delivers a final, suffocating jolt.

Strengths:
- Unmatched Psychological Horror: The real terror in The Spider isn’t in explicit gore or supernatural spectacle but in the gradual loss of control. The story gets under the skin and stays there.
- Masterful Symbolism: The use of the spider as a central motif is genius, evoking the idea of a predator spinning a web around an unsuspecting victim. The horror is both physical (a spider literally in Bracquemont’s mouth) and existential (the inescapable pull of obsession).
- A Timeless Narrative: Despite being over a century old, the story’s themes—compulsion, psychological ensnarement, the power of suggestion—remain disturbingly relevant, especially in the age of digital manipulation and algorithmic control.

Critiques:
- A Dated Perspective on Gender: While effective as horror, the story leans heavily on the trope of the “dangerous woman” whose mere presence drives a man to destruction. This plays into long-standing fears of female agency and mystique, though it is mitigated by the story’s psychological depth.
- Pacing May Frustrate Modern Readers: Readers accustomed to faster, more action-driven horror might find the methodical unraveling of the protagonist slow-moving. However, for those who appreciate a creeping dread, this is a feature, not a bug.

Ewers’ The Spider remains one of the most effective horror stories of its era. It is a tale of quiet terror, of the unseen forces that can infiltrate a mind and twist it toward its doom. Its hypnotic, claustrophobic narrative still has the power to grip modern readers, proving that true horror is not in what we see, but in what we cannot resist. Whether you’re a seasoned horror aficionado or a newcomer to the genre, this is a tale worth reading—with the lights on and the windows shut. And maybe, just maybe, keep an eye on that spider in the corner of your room. You never know who—or what—is staring back.

[Cerenela (Cherry Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leído para el club Clásico es leerte.

Empecé este relato con mucha expectativa, ya que no solo había escuchado excelentes comentarios sino que además el título me atraída mucho. Siempre he tenido cierta fascinación por las arañas.

El relato nos habla de un estudiante de medicina quien decide quedarse en una habitación de hotel en la que tres personas han cometido suicidio anteriormente. Una premisa realmente intrigante.

Una vez instalado en su habitación vemos como, al pasar de los días, su cordura se ve bastante afectada, sobre todo hacia el final. Además nos describe a una mujer la cual ve en la habitación del frente, la cual pareciese tener efectos hipnotizantes en Richard, ya que rápidamente queda prendado de ella.

La atmósfera que se va construyendo alrededor del cuento es envolvente, y me gustó bastante. La descripción del su entorno y como va perdiendo su sanidad poco a poco fue en crescendo y, a pesar de que era obvio que el final sería predecible, esperaba un momento cumbre más sorprendente y fue en este punto que el relato me decepcionó un poco.

Algo interesante es que, al no haber una explicación, nos da bastante para debatir sobre qué puede haber pasado en ese cuarto y qué era exactamente esta presencia de mujer o araña.

Definitivamente me interesa conocer más obras del autor.

[sabisteb aka callisto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paris im März 1919. In einem kleinen, abseitig gelegenen Hotel haben sich an aufeinander folgenden Freitagen 3 Männer zu etwa gleicher Stunde erhängt. Der Medizinstudent Richard Bracquemont liest von diesen Geschehnissen und beschließt dem Geheimnis dieser Selbstmorde auf den Grund zu gehen. Er erhält die Genehmigung des ermittelnden Polizeibeamten, dieses Zimmer zu beziehen unter der Bedingung Tagebuch über seinen Aufenthalt zu führen, und die Polizei über den Stand der Ermittlungen zu informieren. Die ersten beiden Wochen geht auch alles gut, er schließt sogar Freundschaft mit einer wunderschönen Unbekannten, die er im Fenster der gegenüberliegenden Wohnung beobachtet. Wie Kinder spielen sie über ihre Fenster hinweg miteinander und Richard verliebt sich in die wunderschöne Unbekannte. Doch schon bald beginnt sich die Lage zuzuspitzen und Richard wird in einen Strudel des Wahns gerissen.

Hanns Heinz Ewers (1871-1943), sah sich selbst als Nachfolger von Edgar Allan Poe oder Oscar Wilde. Dies war nicht etwa Hybris, sondern ist durchaus zutreffend. Er war zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts ein gefeierter Bestsellerautor aber auch stark kritisiert wegen seiner als unmoralisch und teils als pornografisch verschriener Themenwahl. Er war scharfzüngig und war einer der ersten Filmpioniere in die Geschichte. Die Nazis erteilten ihm letztendlich Schreibverbot.
Leider ist dieser wunderbare Autor heutzutage vollkommen in Vergessenheit geraten und auch ich hatte vor diesem Hörspiel noch nie von ihm gehört. Aber zum Glück gibt es eine Hanns-Heinz-Ewers-Gesellschaft, die sich der Erinnerung dieses Schriftstellers verschrieben hat, der zu Unrecht in Vergessenheit geraten ist. Vielleicht ist auch dieses Hörspiel ein erster Schritt, diesen wunderbaren Erzähler wieder ins Bewusstsein der Leser zu bringen.
Die Kurzgeschichte „Die Spinne“ erschien 1929 im Sieben Stäbe Verlag, Berlin und ist nur vordergründig eine Gruselgeschichte. Tatsächlich ist diese Geschichte jedoch mehr, sie erzählt zum einen von einer reinen kindlichen Liebe, wie Richard mit seiner Clarimonde von Fenster zu Fenster spielt, sie erzählt von der Besessenheit Richards von Clarimonde und wie er sie immer beobachten muss (man könnte ihn fast als Spanner bezeichnen), und sie erzählt von seiner auch sexuellen Hörigkeit dieser schönen Unbekannten gegenüber, die ihn in den Wahnsinn und in den Tod treibt.

Diese teils erotische teils masochistische Erzählung wird nahezu vollständig in einem Tagebuchmonolog erzählt. Dabei leiht Simon Jäger mit seiner erotischen Stimme Richard seine Stimme und lässt einen beim Zuhören dahinschmelzen.
Die Musik ist wunderbar auf die Geschichte abgestimmt und unterstreicht den unschuldigen und auch kindlichen Anteil der Beziehung von Richard und Clarimonde, die so bald in Besessenheit, Abhängigkeit und Wahn kippt.

Ein wirklich außergewöhnlicher Teil des Gruselkabinetts, dessen Schauer nicht über den Grusel der Schauerliteratur des Neunzehnten Jahrhunderts herrührt sondern diesmal leiser, hintergründiger kommt.

Definitiv kein Hörspiel für Kinder oder Jugendliche, sondern etwas für reife Erwachsene, die diese Art von Geschichte zu würdigen wissen.

[Slap Happy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The synopsis on GR is, in actuality, an excerpt from the book. The story begins after the events of three suicides, each one occuring on Friday around six o'clock in room number seven of the hotel, whereupon a young man, a medical student, decides that it would be a neat idea to investigate the occurences, convincing the police that he has an idea for what might be going on. The deceased are three men who all died in exactly the same the manner: hung themselves from a curtain cord at the window, eyes bulging from their sockets, tongues hanging out of their mouths.

It's a ruse, however; the medical student has no idea what he is looking for - like many other individuals who tried to stay in the room after the deaths, it was for the novelty of doing so. The satisfaction of duping the police. In any event, the young man made a case that was more convincing than the others, so he got the room.

He keeps a journal with short entries. This is the structure for how the story plays out: as a series of journal entries from his time in the room. Mostly, his entries are uneventful. That is, until he sees a woman who spins thread in the building opposite from his window. She catches his eye. And then, their odd interactions begin, each one mimicking the other from their windows, and so forth.

I think anybody could see where this was going from a mile away. If we were slow on the uptake, Ewers even graces us with the knowlegde that there was something insect-like about the woman, her motions while spinning the thread. All in all, it wasn't a bad short story, but not a very deep one either. This could have been genuinely disturbing stuff - a courtship where the male is drawn in under a spell by a female and is devoured by her influences. However, it's only surface deep here. I'd like to see another author write another version. A modern writer would have more leeway with the unsettling implications of this setup than one from a hunderd years ago, to plumb more disturbing depths, kind of like with Machen's The Great God Pan, another short story with a promising framework from beginning to end but is psychologically shallow without enough meat on its bones.

[André Prado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aranha, a femme fatale

Primeira história moderna que encontrei encarnando a femme fatale na figura da aranha. Um jovem estudante se aloja num quarto onde ocorreram 3 suicídios, sempre da mesma forma, homens se enforcando pela janela com a cortina num mesmo horário. Na janela ele avista um casal de aranhas e observa o ritual de acasalamento. E enquanto os dias passam, fica cada vez mais fascinado por uma mulher misteriosa vestida de preto e lilás que observa com um novelo a fiar no prédio à frente. Aos poucos, passa a se comunicar com ela por gestos, e vislumbra seu fim quando percebe que seus gestos já não são mais seus.

Muito interessantes as correlações entre aranhas, erotismo e morte marcantes neste pequeno conto.

[Calalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi relación con las arañas ha progresado positivamente a lo largo de dos décadas. Pase de huir instantáneamente a zonas más seguras, a tener extensas intercambios de miradas antes de expulsarlas de mis dominios. Hoy convivo con algunas que me hacen el favor de ser una barrera de polillas. Simbiosis, protegen mis libros mientras se aseguran el menú.
Hasta que apareció Hans Heinz Ewers con su araña, reavivando mi mala diplomacia hacia ellas.
Un cuento subestimado por la historia, o al menos la memoria pero nunca por la controversia. El inicio es feroz, una escenario opaco, desalentador, una incógnita incomoda. Se han quitado la vida varias personas en un cuarto de hotel. Pero ¿Cómo? ¿Por qué? ¿Por qué algo tan macabro me genera tanta curiosidad?
En la forma del texto hay algo poético.. Se va tejiendo poco a poco hasta crear una zona de peligro. La expectativa muta a ambientación, "¿Cuál es el misterio? " cambia con suavidad a "Quiero experimentar esta agonía" y sin darse cuenta uno ya está atrapado en las redes de palabras.
La concentración llega a tensión, es la descripción del interior del protagonista lo que inquieta. Pero esto enriquece la experiencia. Tomando como inspiración el mito de Aracne, el resultado es horror psicológico con suficiente identidad para pasar a ocupar su propio lugar en la memoria literaria.
P.S: hay una posible referencia a la protagonista de La muerta enamorada de Gauttier, aunque no hay competencia, la de Heinz es otro nivel.

Lectura en 2022 Antología Valdemar:
Introducción
La araña 5
Salsa de tomate 3
La mamaloi 3

[Noah Rozov · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's quite possible that King was inspired by this story when he wrote his 1408.