Malpertuis - Jean Ray BOOK REVIEW (Spoilers(...?))

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[@BlueDusk95]

If you've enjoyed Jean Ray you'll probably also like Claude Seignolle (a favourite of Lawrence Durrell) and Michel de Ghelderode (another Flemish Belgian who wrote in French).

[@fietehermans9903]

Yes, the Belgian Alfred Jarry!

[@lancestabler7650]

Loved your celtic frost reference. Metalhead book nerds unite.

[@danielprice6387]

I really loved this one. Was extremely messed up and confusing at times, but I love anything gothic and supernatural

[@ampersandman757]

I can't believe I discovered this book through a fucking Warhammer 40k novel. It's even a fitting reference thematically. Well played, Peter Fehervari

[@bentilbury2002]

The Reverie?

[@astronauticalism]

When I was a kid my grandfather lent me a translation of this book. I remember there was one story about how the color pink is cursed or something. I'll have to reread it someday

[@alexandrasw377]

Never heard of this book, but there is a Norwegian tv-advent calendar that came out a couple of years ago that must be loosely based on it

[@jayarrington240]

Okay - I haven't even finished your review and I have to say, I'm in. I will find this book and read it. Thanks Clifford, again, for another new literary find I had never heard of. O.K., so it sound like it's not the greatest of tellings, but I"m still in. I love these strange wonky books. Really appreciate your work. All the best.

[@AVastShimmer]

Reminds me of house of Leaves, with the fake quotes and found documents.

[@ladylecter636]

Absolutely adored House of Leaves so if I wasn’t already convinced to check this out, I certainly am now!

[@fietehermans9903]

I was hoping you'd get to reading this one day, but shame it didn't click for you. It's one of those books where the strong vision behind it has to compensate for the sloppy execution. (See also: Huysmans) I live in Ghent, and while the house is supposed to be located here, all the streets and places are made up. I also tried to go looking for Jean Ray's grave, but couldn't find it. Little detail I thought worth pointing out: Malpertuis is the name of Reynard the Fox's castle, a series of medieval legends of either French or Belgian/Dutch origin (it's an intense debate to this day). It's supposed to be this labyrinth of tunnels and hidden passages, similar to a fox den, and is sometimes used as a metaphor for a safe haven or place of refuge.

[@CorbCorbin]

It’s like they’re the ghosts, who’ve been taken and left somewhere, after Christianity had taken so much of their mythology, and even religious practices, leaving no one who worships them any longer. They are no longer feared. Or would be better if it had been a group from different pantheons of gods of various religions, no longer being practiced. A metaphor for how Christianity, and just scientific advancement, has made these gods like scared humans, running through a haunted house.

[@CorbCorbin]

“…In France they would call her le Reynard…” -Wayne in Wayne’s World

[@fietehermans9903]

@@CorbCorbin The modern French for fox is actually 'renard'. So these stories were so popular that the Germanic given name Renard (//Reinhard) became the everyday word, replacing the previous goupil

[@janneglnd7633]

Please read "The third Policeman"! It is the funniest most disturbing surreal novel I have had the pleasure to read. To the point that I was talking out loud while reading it! Irish ghost folktale-ish. Flann O`Connor. Also the script has its own strange story. Thank you for your good rewievs. Janne

[@Noreillay]

According to some biographies, Jean Ray spent most of his life working as a public servant for the municipality of Gand, the most outlandish elements of his life were apparently a publicity stunt used by his publisher

[@mjau65]

I see the Hemingway biography on the shelf! Good book!

[@andrewlabit]

I don't know if you have or haven't, but I'd highly recommend Chekhov :) "The Bishop" is one of my favorite short stories.

[@cheayunju]

Huge Jean Ray fan of his short stories. Thanks for pronouncing this title correctly. I have read as much as I can by this truly gifted author, but not his full wackadoo novel. I probably won't You make Jean Ray seem bizarre, he is, and difficult to read, which is something I would disagree with. The new collections of short stories are pure brain suger: Cruise of Shadows Whiskey Tales Circle of Dread Ghouls in My Grave Seven Tales are excellent I think "The Shadowy Street " is the best place to start And another story where a large black umbrella called "Mr. Rain" floats through a park and murders people by sucking them into the strange quicksand earth beneath its shadow.

[@redlightoftryst]

Heard of this author in D & G's One or Several Wolves essay in A Thousand Plateaus

[@redlightoftryst]

They write "all that passes through the pores of the schizo, the veins of the drug addict, swarming, teeming,ferment, intensities, races and tribes. This tale of white skin prickling with bumps and pustules, and of dwarfish black heads emerging from pores grimacing and abominable, needing to be shaved off every morning - is it a tale by Jean Ray, who knew how to bring terror to phenomena of micromultiplicity?

[@MariaCamarena_OneWing]

Reminds me a bit of, the master and margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov. By the way, that’s a good one. You should read it.

[@thetruth4654]

you might enjoy the novels and essays of Yukio Mishima.

[@ChorizoJesus]

You ever read Delicious Tacos?

[@jamesmeacham1973]

Awesome another interesting author

[@buffyinthewalls6034]

HOW MANY TIMES DO WE GOTTA TELL YOU OLD MAN WE WANT MORE BOOK REVIEWS!!

[@bobcabot]

...im fighting in advance against cancer with 2 liters of Green-tea a day (orange-flavour)

[@user-rr5pl2uh1z]

reading level 820 only

[@goodToBeLost]

The thumbnail looks like a demonic possession 😂

[@mariocoelho9380]

what the actual fuck

[@christianeelizabeth5602]

drop the skincare routine

[@nattalavyapari]

Why🥺🥺🥺😢😢😢

[@bobhopper609]

I must say, I hated this book.

[@edquier40]

New subscriber today! Just met Silas, he told me about your vids, I gotta check you out!