"I am surrounded by silence and loneliness. It is the solemn and terrible silence of the desert in which I defiantly challenge the unknown, in order to wrestle with him, body with body, and soul with soul." - A. Strindberg Published in 1897, The Inferno is not a conventional novel. Blending autobiography, fiction and psychological exploration, the book documents Strindberg's descent into paranoia, alchemical obsession, and spiritual confusion during a period of isolation in Paris. Considered a forerunner of modern psychological literature, this intense autobiographical work gives readers an intimate look at the tormented psyche of a genius, navigating between madness and mysticism. This new edition is enhanced by an insightful biographical and critical essay on August Strindberg, authored by Otto Heller, Professor of Modern European Literature at Washington University.