Die Schwarze Spinne

About “Die Schwarze Spinne”

Die schwarze Spinne (The Black Spider) is a novella by the Swiss writer Jeremias Gotthelf, written in 1842. Set within an idyllic frame story, old legends are worked into a Christian-humanist allegory about good and evil. Though initially divided, the internal story later spills into the frame story, and the work is characterized by its complex narrative structure, conservative Christian motifs and symbolism, and precise descriptions of village social dynamics. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)