"The Murderess" is considered the masterpiece of Alexandros Papadiamantis and one of the most important works of modern Greek literature. The story takes place in Skiathos, at the end of the 19th century.

The central character of the work is Fragkoyiannou, an elderly widow. Fragkoyiannou has lived a tormented life. Experience taught her that life for a woman is full of sorrows. She believes that the birth of a girl brings only misfortune, both to the girl herself and to her parents, especially if they are poor.

At the beginning of the story, we see Fragkoyiannou staying awake for days beside the cradle of her sick, newborn granddaughter. Then, all the difficult moments of her life come to her mind. Fatigue and insomnia make her irrational, and she kills the baby. Although she initially feels guilty, deep down she does not regret her act. On the contrary, she begins to believe that perhaps it is God's will to help the world by killing little girls.

Later, Fragkoyiannou commits more crimes, always believing that she is doing them "for good." Although she does not fully realize the evil she is causing, she starts to feel terrible guilt. At some point, the police suspect her, and Fragkoyiannou tries to escape to the mountains.

What will her fate be in the end? Will she manage to save herself or will she be punished for her crimes? Will she be judged by "God's justice" or by "human justice"?

This is a simplified version of the book, suitable for foreign students learning Greek as a second/foreign language. It is mainly appropriate for students with intermediate language proficiency (B1-B2), according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF) of the Council of Europe.

Author: ALEXANDROS PAPADIAMANTIS 1851-1911

Language: GREEK

Year of publication: 2020