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Zusatztext “For all his status as a globe-circling bestseller! Akunin keeps faith in his sleekly engineered and allusive whodunnits with the classical virtues of Russian prose. . . . That polish lends his books a peculiar charm.” – The Independent (London) “Readers can hear echoes of Leo Tolstoy! Fyodor Dostoevsky and Anton Chekov in whodunits that! because of their literary overtones! can be guiltlessly consumed as entertainment.” — Los Angeles Times Informationen zum Autor Boris Akunin Klappentext Fans of Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog, the first book in Akunin's Pelagia trilogy, will be instantly mesmerized-and frightened-by this latest foray into Zavolzhsk' s spiritual underworld. In the middle of the night, a disheveled and badly frightened monk arrives at the doorstep of Bishop Mitrofanii of Zavolzhsk, crying: "Something's wrong at the Hermitage!" The Hermitage is the centuries-old island monastery of New Ararat, known for its tradition of severely penitent monks, isolated environs, and a mental institution founded by a millionaire in self-imposed exile. Hearing the monk's eerie message, Mitrofanii's befuddled but sharp-witted ward Sister Pelagia begs to visit New Ararat and uncover the mystery. Traditions prevail-no women are allowed-and the bishop sends other wards to test their fates against the Black Monk that haunts the once serene locale. But as the Black Monk claims more victims-including Mitrofanii's envoys-Pelagia goes undercover to see exactly what person, or what spirit, is at the bottom of it all. Praise for Sister Pelagia and the Black Monk "For all his status as a globe-circling bestseller, Akunin keeps faith in his sleekly engineered and allusive whodunnits with the classical virtues of Russian prose. . . . That polish lends his books a peculiar charm."-The Independent (London) "Readers can hear echoes of Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Anton Chekov in whodunits that, because of their literary overtones, can be guiltlessly consumed as entertainment."-Los Angeles Times PART ONE The Canaan Expeditions The First Expedition The Adventures of the Comic Alexei Stepanovich’s preparations did not take long and he left on his secret expedition two days after the conversation with His Grace, after having received strict instructions to send reports on his progress at least once every three days. Taking into account the wait for the steamer in Sineozersk and the subsequent voyage across the lake, the journey to New Ararat took four days, and the first letter arrived after exactly one week; in other words it appeared that for all his nihilistic attitude, Alyosha was a reliable envoy who carried out his instructions to the letter. His Grace was very pleased with the report’s punctual arrival and the report itself, but pleased most of all because he had not been mistaken in the boy. He summoned Berdichevsky and Sister Pelagia and read out the report to them, although he occasionally frowned at the insufferably rollicking freedom of the style. Alexei Stepanovich’ s First Letter To Roland’s most glorious Archbishop Turpin from his faithful paladin, sent to do battle with enchanters and Saracens, Oh pastor of great wisdom and sternness, Terror of deep-rooted superstitions, Luminary of faith and loving-kindness, Defender of orphans and lash of the proud! At your feet do I humbly cast down My simple and artless tale. Ah-oo! As, shaking on a creaking wagon, I struggled through the kingdom of Zavolzhsk, And on that mournful road did count Fifteen thousand, one hundred and one Ruts and also potholes deep, Many a time there came to me Bad thoughts about Your Grace’s person And I did utter sacrilegious words. Ah-oo! But when the...
