The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1916) is a novel by Vicente
Blasco Ibáñez. Published at the height of his career as a popular
Spanish author, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was adapted into a
1921 silent film starring Rudolph Valentino and later into a 1962
feature directed by Vincente Minelli. In 1919, the novel became a
bestseller in the United States. "'And when the sun arises in a few
hours, the world will see coursing through its fields the four horsemen,
enemies of mankind. . . . Already their wild steeds are pawing the
ground with impatience; already the ill-omened riders have come together
and are exchanging the last words before leaping into the saddle.'" At
the outbreak of the First World War, two families--and countless
more--are torn apart by hatred and conflict that threatens to bring an
end to humanity itself. Julio Desnoyers, a young man of mixed Argentine
and French descent, leaves a life of luxury behind in search of glory
and romance. Convinced that only sacrifice will win him the hand of his
lover Marguerite, he enlists as a soldier in the French army. Meanwhile,
his mother is forced to reckon with the marriage of her sister to a
German man. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse showcases Blasco
Ibáñez's sense of tragedy and devotion to the politics of peace, both of
which guide his depiction of humanity at war with itself. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
is a classic of Spanish literature reimagined for modern readers.
