Record of the Bloody Laugh

Andreyev, Leonid, 1871-1919Project Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

3.9

Word count: 117K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Blood Laughter (血笑記) by Leonid Andreyev. Author: Andreyev, Leonid, 1871-1919. Language: Japanese. Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature. Release Date: Oct 1, 2010.

Editor's review

Blood Laughter is a Japanese translation of a work by the Russian writer Leonid Andreyev, released by Project Gutenberg. Andreyev is known for a gloomy, symbolic style and for probing human nature and madness in extreme situations; this work continues his fixation on fear, death, and mental collapse. The Japanese translation's texture forms a subtle tension with the heavy atmosphere of the Russian original, making it valuable to readers studying cross-lingual literary transmission. The ebook is freely available and serves as introductory material for understanding Russian Silver Age literature and the history of Japanese translation. When reading, one should focus on shifts in narrative perspective and recurring imagery rather than on plot momentum. Note that this is a public-domain ebook consisting mainly of text, without introduction or annotations, so first-time readers may need external sources to fill in the background.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Russian Silver Age literature and Symbolist fiction
Scholars and students studying Japanese translations of Russian literature or cross-linguistic transmission
Readers accustomed to dark psychological prose that does not rely on plot
Those who wish to obtain public-domain e-books free of charge for close reading

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking light entertainment or an uplifting ending
First-time readers who need detailed annotations and an introduction to enter the text
Those with limited Japanese reading ability who are unwilling to use tools

Reading tips

Begin by learning about Andreyev's life and the Russian Silver Age context before reading the main text.
While reading, mark recurring images and color words and observe their symbolic function.
If Japanese is difficult, consult Russian or English translations to aid understanding of key passages.
After finishing, read a related study or translator's note to clarify the choices made in the Japanese translation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Japanese or Chinese?

According to Project Gutenberg, the book is in Japanese; it is a Japanese translation of Andreyev's work, not a Chinese translation. Chinese readers need Japanese reading ability or must rely on translation tools and parallel versions.

Do Project Gutenberg e-books include annotations?

Project Gutenberg mainly provides public-domain electronic texts and usually does not add editorial introductions or detailed annotations. Blood Smile is no exception; readers must consult relevant literary-historical materials themselves to fill in background information.

Is Andreyev's work suitable as an introduction to Russian literature?

Andreyev's style is dark and strongly symbolic, quite different from realist writers such as Tolstoy and Chekhov. As an introduction to Russian literature, it is advisable to start with works that are clearer in narrative before entering his psychological and symbolic world.

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About the author

Andreyev, Leonid, 1871-1919 Author

Leonid Andreyev (1871–1919) was a Russian writer, with fourteen of his works included in this collection. Public information about him is limited, and biographical details are difficult to verify, yet the surviving works show a body of fiction and drama centered on death, fear, madness, and the absurd predicament of human existence. The Seven Who Were Hanged depicts the psychology of condemned prisoners awaiting execution in a restrained manner, while The Red Laugh presents the sensory and spiritual collapse brought by war. He Who Gets Slapped and The Life of Man explore fate and human nature on the stage. His intense, strongly symbolic style often uses exaggerated situations to reveal existential unease, giving him a distinctive place in early twentieth-century Russian literature; his works have been translated into many languages and have influenced later drama and psychological fiction.