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Historia de un muerto contada por él mismo y otros relatos de terror
Los seis relatos que se recogen en este volumen forman parte de la vasta obra que Dumas denominó Los mil y un fantasmas, de la cual Valdemar ha editado dos entregas: Las Tumbas de Saint-Denis y otros relatos de terror (núm. 18 de esta colección) y La mujer del collar de terciopelo (núm. 40). En ellos el lector encontrará los diversos registros del terror -siempre sazonados con las sabrosas anécdotas típicas de Dumas-, desde el relato espeluznante de su propia vida que hace un muerto a sus comensales, hasta leyendas que recuerdan el ambiente sobrenatural del Tenorio, como la Historia de Don Bernardo de Zúñiga -incluida en Los gentilhombres de Sierra Morena-. Desde un fantasmal jardín que aterroriza las correrías cinegéticas del Conde de Foix, hasta una hermosa historia de amistad entre estudiantes que perdura más allá de la tumba.
208 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1999
6 people want to read
About the author
Alexandre Dumas
6,872 books12.5k followersThis note regards Alexandre Dumas, père, the father of Alexandre Dumas, fils (son). For the son, see Alexandre Dumas fils.
Alexandre Dumas père, born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a towering figure of 19th-century French literature whose historical novels and adventure tales earned global renown. Best known for The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and other swashbuckling epics, Dumas crafted stories filled with daring heroes, dramatic twists, and vivid historical backdrops. His works, often serialized and immensely popular with the public, helped shape the modern adventure genre and remain enduring staples of world literature.
Dumas was the son of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated general in Revolutionary France and the highest-ranking man of African descent in a European army at the time. His father’s early death left the family in poverty, but Dumas’s upbringing was nonetheless marked by strong personal ambition and a deep admiration for his father’s achievements. He moved to Paris as a young man and began his literary career writing for the theatre, quickly rising to prominence in the Romantic movement with successful plays like Henri III et sa cour and Antony.
In the 1840s, Dumas turned increasingly toward prose fiction, particularly serialized novels, which reached vast audiences through French newspapers. His collaboration with Auguste Maquet, a skilled plotter and historian, proved fruitful. While Maquet drafted outlines and conducted research, Dumas infused the narratives with flair, dialogue, and color. The result was a string of literary triumphs, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both published in 1844. These novels exemplified Dumas’s flair for suspenseful pacing, memorable characters, and grand themes of justice, loyalty, and revenge.
The D’Artagnan Romances—The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne—cemented his fame. They follow the adventures of the titular Gascon hero and his comrades Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, blending historical fact and fiction into richly imagined narratives. The Count of Monte Cristo offered a darker, more introspective tale of betrayal and retribution, with intricate plotting and a deeply philosophical core.
Dumas was also active in journalism and theater. He founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris, which staged dramatizations of his own novels. A prolific and energetic writer, he is estimated to have written or co-written over 100,000 pages of fiction, plays, memoirs, travel books, and essays. He also had a strong interest in food and published a massive culinary encyclopedia, Le Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, filled with recipes, anecdotes, and reflections on gastronomy.
Despite his enormous success, Dumas was frequently plagued by financial troubles. He led a lavish lifestyle, building the ornate Château de Monte-Cristo near Paris, employing large staffs, and supporting many friends and relatives. His generosity and appetite for life often outpaced his income, leading to mounting debts. Still, his creative drive rarely waned.
Dumas’s mixed-race background was a source of both pride and tension in his life. He was outspoken about his heritage and used his platform to address race and injustice. In his novel Georges, he explored issues of colonialism and identity through a Creole protagonist. Though he encountered racism, he refused to be silenced, famously replying to a racial insult by pointing to his ancestry and achievements with dignity and wit.
Later in life, Dumas continued writing and traveling, spending time in Belgium, Italy, and Russia. He supported nationalist causes, particularly Italian unification, and even founded a newspaper to advocate for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Though his popularity waned somewhat in his final years, his literary legacy grew steadily. He wrote in a style that was accessible, entertaining, and emotionally reso
Alexandre Dumas père, born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a towering figure of 19th-century French literature whose historical novels and adventure tales earned global renown. Best known for The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and other swashbuckling epics, Dumas crafted stories filled with daring heroes, dramatic twists, and vivid historical backdrops. His works, often serialized and immensely popular with the public, helped shape the modern adventure genre and remain enduring staples of world literature.
Dumas was the son of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated general in Revolutionary France and the highest-ranking man of African descent in a European army at the time. His father’s early death left the family in poverty, but Dumas’s upbringing was nonetheless marked by strong personal ambition and a deep admiration for his father’s achievements. He moved to Paris as a young man and began his literary career writing for the theatre, quickly rising to prominence in the Romantic movement with successful plays like Henri III et sa cour and Antony.
In the 1840s, Dumas turned increasingly toward prose fiction, particularly serialized novels, which reached vast audiences through French newspapers. His collaboration with Auguste Maquet, a skilled plotter and historian, proved fruitful. While Maquet drafted outlines and conducted research, Dumas infused the narratives with flair, dialogue, and color. The result was a string of literary triumphs, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both published in 1844. These novels exemplified Dumas’s flair for suspenseful pacing, memorable characters, and grand themes of justice, loyalty, and revenge.
The D’Artagnan Romances—The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne—cemented his fame. They follow the adventures of the titular Gascon hero and his comrades Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, blending historical fact and fiction into richly imagined narratives. The Count of Monte Cristo offered a darker, more introspective tale of betrayal and retribution, with intricate plotting and a deeply philosophical core.
Dumas was also active in journalism and theater. He founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris, which staged dramatizations of his own novels. A prolific and energetic writer, he is estimated to have written or co-written over 100,000 pages of fiction, plays, memoirs, travel books, and essays. He also had a strong interest in food and published a massive culinary encyclopedia, Le Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, filled with recipes, anecdotes, and reflections on gastronomy.
Despite his enormous success, Dumas was frequently plagued by financial troubles. He led a lavish lifestyle, building the ornate Château de Monte-Cristo near Paris, employing large staffs, and supporting many friends and relatives. His generosity and appetite for life often outpaced his income, leading to mounting debts. Still, his creative drive rarely waned.
Dumas’s mixed-race background was a source of both pride and tension in his life. He was outspoken about his heritage and used his platform to address race and injustice. In his novel Georges, he explored issues of colonialism and identity through a Creole protagonist. Though he encountered racism, he refused to be silenced, famously replying to a racial insult by pointing to his ancestry and achievements with dignity and wit.
Later in life, Dumas continued writing and traveling, spending time in Belgium, Italy, and Russia. He supported nationalist causes, particularly Italian unification, and even founded a newspaper to advocate for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Though his popularity waned somewhat in his final years, his literary legacy grew steadily. He wrote in a style that was accessible, entertaining, and emotionally reso
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 22, 2023
Este cuento de terror fue escrito por Alexandre Dumas y hace parte de un libro más grande llamado Mil y un fantasmas, aunque lo podemos encontrar en otras antologías.
Me encanta la ambientación qué hace Dumas, tres amigos una noche de diciembre se reunen en el taller de un pintor a contar historias triviales alrededor de una chimenea en una noche fría y oscura, y la lluvia golpeada por los cristales con un ruido continuo y monótono, pasa el tiempo y los temas se les van agotando. Así que uno de ellos toma la palabra, ante la estupefacción de todos cuenta un relato qué capta inmediatamente la atención de la audiencia, pues éste presenta al diablo como alguien que tiene el poder de volver a la vida a un muerto enamorado qué luego va a asistir a un baile donde se encontrará con su amada. El autor de manera magistral utiliza elementos del terror clásico, el amor y la fantasía para sumergirnos en la trama de la historia narrada. ¡Es un relato genial, se los recomiendo!
Me encanta la ambientación qué hace Dumas, tres amigos una noche de diciembre se reunen en el taller de un pintor a contar historias triviales alrededor de una chimenea en una noche fría y oscura, y la lluvia golpeada por los cristales con un ruido continuo y monótono, pasa el tiempo y los temas se les van agotando. Así que uno de ellos toma la palabra, ante la estupefacción de todos cuenta un relato qué capta inmediatamente la atención de la audiencia, pues éste presenta al diablo como alguien que tiene el poder de volver a la vida a un muerto enamorado qué luego va a asistir a un baile donde se encontrará con su amada. El autor de manera magistral utiliza elementos del terror clásico, el amor y la fantasía para sumergirnos en la trama de la historia narrada. ¡Es un relato genial, se los recomiendo!
May 29, 2017
Bastante entretenida. Me habría gustado un final más extenso.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews