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ISAK DINESEN (STORY DATE 1934)

SOURCE: Dinesen, Isak. “The Monkey.” In Seven Gothic Tales, pp. 109-63. New York: Modern Library, 1934.

The following excerpt comprises the first section of one of the most popular of Dinesen’s Seven Gothic Tales.

I

In a few of the Lutheran countries of northern Europe there are still in existence places which make use of the name convent, and are governed by a prioress or chanoiness, although they are of no religious nature. They are retreats for unmarried ladies and widows of noble birth who here pass the autumn and winter days of their lives in a dignified and comfortable routine, according to the traditions of the houses. Many of these institutions are extremely wealthy, own great stretches of land, and have had, during the centuries, inheritances and legacies bequested to them. A proud and kindly spirit of past feudal times seems to dwell in the...

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1. Introduction
2. Principal Works
3. Primary Sources
   1. Isak Dinesen (Story Date 1934)
4. Title Commentary
   1. Seven Gothic Tales
5. Further Reading