Miracles of Antichrist — Selma Lagerlof

The Miracles of Antichrist relies heavily on the legends and folk tales of Sicily. The descriptions, rich in the warm colors of the South, convey Lagerlöf's understanding of the hot blooded Sicilians with the same insight and sympathy which she evokes while describing the introspective Swedes. Lagerlöf borrows from an ancient Sicilian legend which says, "When Antichrist comes he shall seem as Christ. There shall be great want, and Antichrist shall go from land to land and give bread to the poor. And he shall find many followers." Masterfully, she intertwines a tale of modern Sicily in an era when revolutionary socialism is sweeping the island and making heavy inroads upon the influence of the church.