The Black Monk

Rating:
Summary: A Powerful and Moving Story
Review: This story has all the mystery of a parable, all the breadth of high Russian literature and the richness of a dream. A ghost-like figure haunts a rather Romantic protagonist, arriving in the form of a column of darkness that resolves into a hooded monk and begins to communicate with the hero about the nature of humanity in the world. As a picture of insanity, and yet a terrible descent into understanding, Chekhov's story is a powerful tribute to Russian and Catholic folklore as well as a portrait of the lone intellectual becoming immersed in asceticism. Highly recommended.