Jean Ray
Malpertuis

Jean Ray, considered by the great and lamented English critic (who died under mysterious circumstances in Turin in 1998) Malcolm Skey as the European Lovecraft, is undoubtedly one of the most important fantastic writers of the last century. His figure represents a kind of "gargoyle" that watches from the heights of a gothic cathedral the horrors lurking within the human soul. His biography is not lacking in "imaginary" and fanciful episodes in line with the character: what matters in any case is the literary legacy he left us, including some memorable stories and the masterpiece novel Malpertuis from which a film by Harry Kümel was also adapted. Malpertuis, after a long absence from the Italian market (the first edition is by SugarCo of 1966 with the famous cover by Guido Crepax, followed in 1990 by the one released by Oscar Horror Mondadori) was finally reprinted in the Urania Horror series in 2016 in a fine version with a rich critical apparatus. Unfortunately, the bankruptcy of the same Urania Horror made it difficult to find once again. This new edition, published by Agenzia Alcatraz in the deserving Bizarre collection which maintains the design of the Marabout editions with the splendid covers by Henri Lievens, thus represents great news for fans of weird literature. The introduction is by Valerio Evangelisti, a devotee of this book as evidenced by his novel Nicolas Eymerich, Inquisitore, a true homage to Jean Ray's masterpiece which featured a spaceship named Malpertuis. The new translation is instead entrusted to the competent Luca Fassina.

Malpertuis is a delirious nightmare novel set in a dark Flemish mansion where the Eumenides and other mythical characters are imprisoned taking on miserable human guises: one can therefore rightly speak of "Death of the Gods" as one of the "keys" to interpreting this work. The mythology is thus intentionally "heretically" distorted by the Flemish author. It is an inverted mythology where the Gods of ancient Greece transform into petty human puppets. We are undoubtedly facing a concept of great originality. Jean Ray, while using traditional "topoi" familiar to those accustomed to horror fiction such as the inevitable haunted house, the esoteric sect, and werewolves, essentially manages to breathe new life into a genre that more than once has drawn a smile from some critics due to the constant presence of stereotypes.

The beginning of the story introduces us to a group of bizarre characters forced to reside in the Malpertuis estate due to the will of great-uncle Cassave (in the film played by an extraordinary Orson Welles). Here, we find all the skill of the Flemish writer's pen in meticulously describing the flaws and miseries of the human soul. Thus, in the house, we find the two bored siblings Jean Jacques and Nancy, Dr. Sambucque, intent only on thinking about food, and his cousin Philarete, passionate about taxidermy. There are also Rosalie, Eleonore, and Alice, three fairly ordinary ladies who do nothing but embroider and impart bigoted moral principles. There's also the Dideloo family with their disturbing daughter Euryale. But how can we forget the figure of Lampernisse, a former paint salesman who complains about always being in the dark, and the Griboin couple, aged misers who do nothing but count money? Then there's a gigantic servant capable only of emitting a meaningless sound. Eisengott, another important character, does not live in Malpertuis, although it's implied he is not a stranger to it due to an ancient curse. Instead, the character of Euryale, with her red hair and unmovable green eyes, is undoubtedly the most iconic one, hinting at the supernatural lurking.

Apparently, calm reigns, but mysteries soon arrive in the dark mansion: Lampernisse discovers miniaturized monstrous beings in the attic while Mathias Krooch, the shop clerk annexed to the house, is found horribly dead with his head nailed, while his voice continues to sing. Meanwhile, Dideloo, after arranging a meeting with Alice-Alecto, is killed by a horrible flying creature. Finally, events precipitate on Christmas Eve. But when the Cormelons (the Eumenides) are about to destroy the surviving guests (Jean Jacques, Lampernisse, and Philarete), the stroke of midnight and the presence of mysterious monastic figures save them. Jean Jacques will end up finding himself alone at Malpertuis with Euryale. He then wakes up in a house facing the sea where he is cared for by the housekeeper Elodie and by Eisengott. But his destiny is at Malpertuis, and he decides to return there. Once back, he will witness new horrors like that of Lampernisse, whose liver is periodically eaten by an eagle. Philarete, before being transformed into a statue, tries to use Jacques as a guinea pig for his taxidermy experiments. Finally, thanks to Eisengott, he manages to leave Malpertuis again.
In the final part, set in the monastery of the White Fathers, we discover how uncle Cassave (a Rosicrucian mage) had captured and imprisoned the gods of Greek mythology (including Hephaestus, the Eumenides, and Juno) on a remote Greek island. Their power, however, had greatly diminished, and Cassave imprisons them in human bodies except for the Gorgon (Euryale) and Zeus (Eisengott). Jean Jacques will end up being petrified by Euryale for not obeying Eisengott who tells him not to look at her in the eyes.

Throughout the reading, there's always the impression that something, beneath the propriety of the Flemish province, is simmering beneath the surface, something capable of exploding with devastating force. The strength of the novel lies in bringing out the irrationality, represented by the divine power still surviving (though by now forgotten), within the calm everyday life of modern man.