{"product_id":"thirty-hours-with-a-corpse-and-other-tales-of-the-grand-guignol-9780486802329","title":"Thirty Hours with a Corpse: And Other Tales of the Grand Guignol","description":"Characterized by gratuitous acts of brutality and surprise endings, these tales of obsession and violence are the creations of a twentieth-century French writer whose works were staged by the legendary Théâtre du Grand-Guignol of Paris. The precursors of modern thrillers and slasher films, these stories have been specially selected for this edition and introduced by horror specialist S. T. Joshi. \u003cbr\u003eThirty-nine \u003ci\u003econte cruel\u003c\/i\u003e (\"cruel tales\") include \"In the Light of the Red Lamp,\" in which a husband's photographs of his dead wife reveal a deeper tragedy; \"Fascination,\" the tale of a morbid passion that develops when the narrator, determined to stay at home, shoots his mistress for the sake of peace and quiet; and \"The Bastard,\" concerning a father's suspicions about his son's paternity. Other stories include \"The Taint,\" a view of infanticide as mercy-killing; \"The Test,\" in which an accused murderer is forced to reenact his crime; and \"A Maniac,\" recounting a thrill-seeker's ghoulish impulse to witness death-defying stunts gone wrong.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrench author Maurice Level (1875-1926) specialized in macabre short stories that appeared in Parisian newspapers and were staged by the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol, a repertory company famed for its gory melodramas.\u003cbr\u003eS. T. Joshi is a literary critic, novelist, and a leading figure in the study of H. P. Lovecraft and other authors of weird and fantastic fiction.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dover Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50674914361618,"sku":"9780486802329","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_ff8ac494-4d33-4eea-972c-052836856928.jpg?v=1733867127","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/thirty-hours-with-a-corpse-and-other-tales-of-the-grand-guignol-9780486802329","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}