Malpertuis
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
"Before him, long shelves of books [...] Epictetus, Terence, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine, Saint Raymond of Pennaforte, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Scaliger, ... and, next to a magnificent antiphonary of Saint Gregory, a transcription by Rawlinson of the dread Book of Enoch."--Malpertuis (1943) by Jean Ray "[The room had a] hazy Adriaan Brouwer, a cheap engraving representing an old woman and a very valuable Amphitrite by Mabuse."--Malpertuis (1943) by Jean Ray Inscriptions to the various chapters: "Vous aurez beau bâtir des églises, jalonner les chemins de chapelles et de croix, vous n'empêcherez pas les dieux de l'ancienne Thessalie de réapparaitre à travers les chants des poètes et les livres des savants." --Nathaniel Hawthorne "L'homme qui entre dans le mystère de la mort en laissant aux vivants le mystère de sa vie, a volé à la fois et la mort et la vie." --Stéphane Zannovitch "Le génie de la nuit emporta la tête du renard pour en orner sa maison et lui faire honneur" Les histoires d'Hussein "Le soleil! Donnez moi le soleil!"--Ibsen (Gespenster) "The lesser gods, such as the penates, the brownies or the Glasmännchen, are never spirits but minuscule incarnations and thus and thus absolutely material, and draw their power from the earth in which they live." --WORTH, Comparative Folklore "I saw the Capitano, his head nailed to the mast, and I realised that he had just been struck down by the gods. --"The Tale of the Ghost Ship" by Wilhelm Hauff "Qui donc marche, veille et guette dans cette maison?" --Poritzky "Wie durft de goddelijke doelstellingen ... " --Zacharias "Que seraient les dieux, sans l'épouvante?"--Imitation de l'Ecriture "-Qui sont ils, Thysos, ils ne sont pas morts de ma main? -Tu les as tués dans ton coeur, Ménélas, Ils resteront à jamais terribles..." --Les Atrides "Son crime, selon les dieux, fut d'avoir secouru la misère des hommes..." --Nathaniel Hawthorne "Il a suffi d'un rêve de femme ou de poète pour faire naitre un dieu"--Laurence Sterne "... et que de dieux sont passés du coté du diable! Wickstead" --(Le Grimoire) "Jéhovah, plein de miséricorde, dit à Jupiter : - Je ne vous envoie pas la mort, mais le repos. -Il vous serait facile de me détruire! -Je n'en ferai rien, n'êtes vous pas mon frère ainé?" --Nathaniel Hawthorne |
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Malpertuis (1943) is a novel by Jean Ray (1887–1964).
The debut novel of Ray, it was published in France on the Présence du futur imprint, next to work by Ray Bradbury en H. P. Lovecraft.
It was adapted for film by Harry Kümel in 1971 starring Orson Welles.
Its tone is oneiric and its suspense uncanny.
The fantastic elements are based on Greek mythology and the destruction of time and space and the title refers to Maleperduys, Reynard the Fox's principal hideaway.
Contents |
Plot
It is divided into four narratives:
- The modern-day narrator (who remains unnamed) explains in a prologue that he stole the manuscripts that comprise the rest of the novel from the Convent of the White Penitents. In the epilogue, he locates Malpertuis, sees Eisengott and Old Mother Groulle in a tavern, enters the house, has a brief encounter with Euryale then flees.
- Doucedame the Elder's story of the capture of the Olympians; it has presumably been assembled by Doucedame the Younger.
- The diary of Jean-Jacques Grandsire (also broken into two parts) that ends when he and Bets leave Malpertuis.
- Father Euchere (aka Dom Misseron) of the Convent of the White Penitents, and reveals the final fates of both Jean-Jacques Grandsire and Doucedame the Younger.
Adaptations
In 1971 the Belgian director Harry Kümel made a film adaptation of the novel, starring Orson Welles, Susan Hampshire and Mathieu Carrière.
In popular culture
A copy of the novel is prominently displayed on the coffee table of Haydée in Eric Rohmer's 1967 film La Collectionneuse.
Mentions
- Jean Mabuse
- Wendel Dietterlin
- Gerard Dou
- Gustav Fechner
- Spagyric
- Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
- Fresnel
- Gebel, Nofret, Cathay, vetiver, Enoch
- Blavitzky
- Zabeltau
- Petit-Senn
- Herman Esswein
See also
