The Black Lily is a collection of stories that inserts itself in the series titled The Library of Lovecraft by Edizione Arcoiris.
Seen as we’re talking about a collection, we will obviously be looking at it in segments that will bring us on a brand new exploration of the city of Florence.
Plot
The Black Lily, the third entry in The Library of Lovecraft, offers “six stories of curses, horrors, and madness under the banner of the Grand Duchy.” Six stories that oscillate between gothic, horror, and weird, all set in Florence or connected to it and that embrace three centuries of its literary genre. Morbid and disturbing events, mysteries, deceit, revenge, and occult apparitions all come together in an alchemy of content and styles that are perfectly at home in the Library. It contains authors like Horace Walpole – a tutelar name in Gothic literature (and of whom has been dug out a story that can’t be found anywhere else) -, Luigi Capuana, Wilhelm Hauff, Pearl Norton Swet, Fergus Hume and Marghanita Laski; the latter two presented with content that has never been released in Italy until now. The translations are all brand new, by Diego Bertelli, Luca Baldoni, Gianluca Venditti and Elena Entradi. As usual, the tome has been enriched by amazing illustrations that guide the reader through this unique, dark journey.
The Black Lily – The Collection
Six stories, the same number as “the balls underneath the Medici crest”, that accompany us into a shadowy Florence made of horrors and curses. Of blood and mysteries, the kind that we love so much – well, that I love so much. The Lily, normally used as a symbol of purity and innocence, and a crest for Florence at the same time, gets painted black.
A small path is therefore set out that we hope will intrigue and at the same time guide you in this new journey. We leave the complete list below, which will be updated as we go on to talk and fill our own collection on the matter. Stay tuned and keep following us to learn more.
- The Tower – Marghanita Laski
- The Severed Hand – Wilhelm Hauff
- The Redemption of The Masterpieces – Luigi Capuana
- The Amethyst Cross – Fergus Hume
- The Medici Boots – Pearl Norton Swet
- Maddalena (Or, the Fate of the Florentines) – Horace Walpole
Anecdotes and Trivia
A very interesting detail I’ve noticed when it comes to The Black Lily: every single story has small anecdotes and trivia about the themes that characterise the individual tales. I think it’s a nice little gem. Moreover, the eye-catching graphics, which almost resemble that of an ancient manuscript, bring a charming addition to the entire collection. If you’re innately curious people who don’t stop at just reading the works and who aspire to dig into its depts, I’m sure you’ll have a great appreciation for it.
That said, we bid you farewell for now and we hope to see you again in the next few days for the beginning of our reviews of the stories in this volume. Stay tuned so you don’t miss any! And, as always, let us know your opinion in the comment section below.
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