BOOK REVIEWS
I have dispensed with my 'Books of the Year' postings which covered the years 2009 and 2010, and now attempt to review a selection of books that I have read both good and bad, in editions old and new. Much of what I buy is often based on suggestions by others, or some train of thought that makes me think "maybe I should try..." so they are not necessarily all strange/supernatural fiction.
With many small press books costing around £35-£40 each, and some seemingly worthy tomes changing hands on the second hand market for many times that, these reviews may also give the potential purchaser some indication of what they might receive for their money. Needless to say, my opinions should not be given any great value as I bring my own foibles to every review and these may change at any time.
Ben Hecht
'The Kingdom Of Evil'
(Harcourt Brace Jovanovich rpt of 1924 edition)
211 pages (various editions available)
'The Kingdom of Evil' is Hechts sequel to 'Fantazius Mallare'(1922) - a decadent novella better known for the wonderful Wallace Smith illustrations (see here) and the fact that is was branded obscene than its actual content; which is frankly something of a mess with its sub Des Essaintes excesses and purple prose.
'The Kingdom...' is the diary our 'hero' Mallare who has become mad and dreams himself a realm run by a sinister magician figure named Sabastian who in turn creates amusements for a woman named Kora. Both Mallare and Sabastian are love rivals for Kora, but she seems to favour a poet named Julien who spends a lot of the book arguing with Mallare over the nature of the reality in which they find themselves. As they are all constructs of the diarist Mallares' delerium this leads to some problems as each character tries to justify their place in Mallares dream. All this is before we add in troops of hermaphrodite servants, an 'ectoplasmic' sky city, the arrival of hundreds of naked women and a gigantic God named Synthemus created by Sabastian as a gift to Kora.
The result is written is a style that fuses a mixture of Poe, Huysmans and Clark Ashton Smith with, shall we say, idiosyncratic results. An example:
"This madness from which I suffer, this will be the end of man. Madness will be his last philosophy, His little song will cease. His monotonous scribblings will end. And mind, the grey and mutilated monster he has enchained within him will seize his senses. The shapes of life, the noble and complacent structures before which he stands today preening himself and humming will twist into horrible designs, collapse into decalcified symbols of woe. He will weep. Delusions will rupture his nights. Out of the little realities he has so proudly reared, phantoms ghastly and murderous will launch themselves at him. Everything about him will become laden with horror. The day and night into which he looks will, like a dreadful mirror, give him back only the Witches' Sabbath of his mind." And so on...
Totally pretentious, at times very silly but with some nice moments, this is a fun read. 'The Kingdom...' seems to be regarded as inferior to its for infamous forebear, but I actually find it better because of excesses- 'Fantazius' is far too serious in its decadent pose.
My ($3 s/h) reprint contains the illustrations from the 1st edition by Anthony Angarola which are perhaps more 'interesting' than 'inspiring'.
Great literature it aint, but it has its place, and rattles along at a good rate. I found it far more entertaining than much of the pulp fiction, a la Weird Tales etc, of the same period and will while away a winter hour or two for you.
