La mansión de las serpientes

"La Mansion de las Serpientes" by Ada Coretti This Spanish horror novel, published 1981, follows Amanda, a traumatized woman from humble origins in the coastal town of Mandristton. The opening depicts Amanda's childhood trauma: her father murders her mother's lover and forces her mother to drink the victim's blood before murdering her with a pitchfork. Amanda's father subsequently falls into a coma and dies. Raised by her alcoholic uncle, Amanda educates herself through a kind schoolteacher and marries Bob Rogers, a moderately wealthy man living near the forest. On their wedding night, Amanda discovers Rogers is obsessed with snakes—his house contains dozens of serpents of various species (anacondas, pythons, Wagler's pit vipers, tree snakes) that he keeps "trained." Rogers forbids her from screaming, claiming the snakes are his "best friends," and stations them throughout the house to prevent her escape. The narrative introduces Oscar Farrell, a successful city detective preparing to take a vacation, suggesting his involvement in Amanda's desperate situation. The text becomes fragmentary at the conclusion.