New edition of one of the most powerful novellas which Thomas Mann saw as foretelling the advent of Nazism. Now part of Alma 101-pages series of lesser-known classics.

After one of their own people repeatedly fails to live up to a pact with the Devil, a petty and morally bankrupt village community is plagued by a swarm of deadly black spiders. Using a complex narrative structure, Gotthelf's cautionary novella shrewdly dissects the iniquitous social dynamics of rural life.

First published in 1842, The Black Spider displays its author's talent for dark satire and realism, as well as the visionary powers of his imagination.