Alexander Shirvanzade (1858-1935) is generally regarded as one of the great exponents of the Armenian realist novel. However, some critics describe his work as unreadable. In spite of such critics, the work of Shirvanzade showed shrewd social observation and a facility for story telling.

The most noteworthy of his works is The Evil Spirit. A short novel about Sweet Sonia, a young epileptic. It evokes with some emotional intensity the plight of community life, particularly for women, in a society tainted by ignorant and irrational prejudice.