Severin's Journey into the Dark [Kindle Edition]

Paul Leppin (Author), Kevin Blahut (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

. . . a gem, a beautifully spun tale. . . Leppin walks us through the streets of Prague to weave a haunting atmosphere that enhances the tale's moody texture and provides an enticing peek at pre-World War I Prague. -- Prognosis, November, 1993

Recommended to anyone who is interested in the German fantasy tradition of Prague . . . -- Cyril Simsa, Locus, April, 1995

This novel would have been perfect material for a 1920s German Expressionist film, with shots of shadowy alleys dripping with menace and cadaverous black-eyed bar girls . . . there is a compelling drive in this short tale. -- The Prague Post, October, 1993

Product Description

First published in 1914, this acclaimed novel is set in Prague, a city of darkened walls and strange decay which forms the backdrop of Severin's erotic adventures and fateful encounters – a world of femmes fatales, Russian anarchists, dabblers in the occult and denizens of decadent salons. Prognosis called it, ". . . a gem, a beautifully spun tale," and The Prague Post stated: "This novel would have been perfect material for a 1920s German Expressionist film, with shots of shadowy alleys dripping with menace and cadaverous black-eyed bar girls."

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 327 KB
• Publisher: Twisted Spoon Press (August 7, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003YRILLG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #514,714 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic and dark journey into pre WWI Prague, November 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Severin's Journey into the Dark (A Prague Ghost Story) (Paperback)

A little gem of a book, the story involves a young man's adventures into the decadent underbelly of turn-of-the-century Prague -- before WWI, back when the city was an ethnic mix of Czechs, Germans and Jews, when it was the home of Franz Kafka and Max Brod. The main character, Severin, is wonderfully portrayed, but just as deftly drawn is the city. If you've never been to this East European capital, as you read Lepin's moody prose, you'll feel as if you're walking Prague's brooding, mazelike streets, maybe even getting lost in them. There are a few passages where the translation is a little rough, but these infrequent lapses in no way detract from the story which delves into the soul of hero and captures the soul of the city.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I came here to kill you..., June 6, 2002

By 

gristler - See all my reviews

This review is from: Severin's Journey into the Dark (A Prague Ghost Story) (Paperback)

"Severin's Journey Into Dark" is a beautiful book about Prague, and about a man who spoils all of his chances for happiness, love and freedom. It was difficult at first for me to understand the cruel things Severin does, but I view them, now, as symptoms of an evil and misery that he cannot suppress. There is a laundry list of colorful characters in this book, and the plot seems to drift with uncertainty. This is not a bad thing, as it gives the reader some empathy towards Serverin's own confusion. The dark is a symbol that comes up throughout the book. There seems to be a lot of dark in Prague.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars new favorite, May 12, 2006

By 

Mona (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Severin's Journey into the Dark (A Prague Ghost Story) (Paperback)

A fantastic book that allows you to accompany a man in his discovery of the depth of his soul's darkness while he explores the streets of Prague. A wonderful book who's prose can be only described as poetry with an ending though wasn't unexpected, was surprising.