Dark Arrows: Chronicles of Revenge

John I. Jackson was a library technician at the University of Toronto.

Revenge, or the desire for revenge, has always seemed to be an emanation from the dark side of human nature. In the sixteenth century, Francis Bacon called it “a kind of wild justice, which the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.” But, its unseemliness notwithstanding, revenge has been an omnipresent motivator of human activity. From the biblical “eye for an eye” to twentieth century concepts of war reparation, mankind has concentrated mightily on evening the score, or exacting the price. To the extent that literature can be said to reflect the human condition, much of the literature of man concerns what appears to be a deep, fundamental urge to get even. In Dark Arrows, Alberto Manguel reveals the range and depth of this urge. A succinct, good-humored introductory essay discusses the theme of revenge in literature and presents the rationale behind the selection of the short stories that appear in this interesting anthology.

The collection is an eclectic mix of well-known writers (such as Frederick Forsythe, William Faulkner, Saki, and E.L. Doctorow) and more obscure writers (such as Ken Mitchell, Heinrich von Kleist, and Lord Dunsany). Reflecting an understandable cultural bias, Manguel has also included three Latin American writers who have not, to date, had a wide North American audience. The scope of the collection includes interesting and convincing illustration of the assertion, in the introductory essay, of the universality of the theme.

To find such a positive correlation between intent and effect is satisfying in any work of art. The success of this volume is further assured by its organization and presentation. Each story concerns a unique situation. There is no repetition of circumstances. Each story also evokes a unique level of emotional intensity. The anthology truly does represent the range of human feeling.

Manguel has found a distinctive approach to his audience and has skillfully enlightened that audience through entertaining it well.