The Demon

Harry White, the protagonist of The Demon, is a man who seems to have everything going for him; he's a loving husband, father and son. He's a trusted employee and he's about to be promoted up another step on the corporate-ladder. Yes, Harry is sure leading a blessed life, at least on the surface. You see, the truth of the matter is that Harry White isn't feeling very good, emotionally and mentally. In the past, his solution to dealing with these feelings was simple: Find a married woman and have sex with her, the danger of being caught by her husband being part of the thrill. However, ever since he got married himself, Harry had decided that he was done with that sort of thing. Unfortunately, the little voice in the back of his head soon becomes impossible to ignore and Harry finds himself reverting back to his old habits, but what happens when mere adultery is not enough to keep Harry's inner demon in check...?

Hubert Selby Jr. was an American author most famous for his debut novel, Last Exit to Brooklyn. The Demon was his third novel and the first one of his that I've read. It took me a few pages before my brain had adjusted itself to Selby's writing style (he replaces apostrophes with the / when he doesn't and never uses quotation marks. Although to be fair, he's not the first author I've read who does away with the latter, Cormac McCarthy is another). Once I'd gotten used to Selby's quirks, though, I found The Demon hard to put down.

One thing that The Demon particularly excels at lies in its portrayal of its main character; Selby has a real knack for getting under the skin and into the mind of his protagonist, allowing the reader to understand and even empathize with Harry, even if they do not approve of his actions. Selby actually reminds me a bit of Dostoevsky in that regard.

The Demon is a compelling, harrowing look into a man's gradual fall into deeper and deeper depravity and the toll it takes on both himself and his loved ones. Its a great read, one that stayed with me long after I finished it and that I will surely re-visit in the future. I will also be sure to check out the rest of Selby's work in the future. If all his books are of similar quality, than he's an author worth getting further acquainted with.

Chapter 6

The chamber currently occupied by Jeraddin and his family was of the type usually reserved for guests whose stay at the palace was not intended to drag out. It was a medium-sized room, primarily dominated by a comfortable-looking bed. Aside from the bed, the room's furniture consisted of a small desk, upon which a few papers, a quill and a bottle of ink stood, a chair and a fireplace, currently unlit. A heavy silence filled the family's temporary quarters and had done so since they first stepped foot inside it. Nasari was the first one to speak up:

"What do you think will happen now, dear?" She asked her husband.

Jeraddin was leaning against the fireplace with his arms crossed. At the sound of his wife's voice, he turned his head in her direction.

"Honestly, I don't know", he said. "The Crown Princess seem to have things under control though."

"Yes, she did take charge of the situation quite quickly, didn't she?"

"Does that bother you, Nasari?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe a little. She didn't exactly come across as a grieving daughter, that's all."

"When you are in a position of leadership, whether you got there on your own, or inherited it, there are often times when you have to bury your own feelings and focus solely on the here and now. Our late king understood that and apparently, so does the princess."

Nasari was not entirely convinced by her life-mate's argument on Argath's behalf, but felt that it would be pointless to continue the discussion, at least at this point. Instead, she turned her attention towards her children, who were both seated on the bed.

"You two have been awfully quiet since even before all this happened", she said with a look of concern on her face. "You do know that if something troubles you you can always took to me or your father about it."

Risha nodded, she was just about to tell her parents the reason for their silence, when her brother piped up:

"We know who did it", Leorin blurted out, unable to contain himself any longer.

At once, both Nasari's and Jeraddin's eyes were focused on their youngest child. Then, Jeraddin looked at his daughter.

"Risha, is this true?" He asked.

"Yes, father."

Without answering, Jeraddin went over to the door. He was just about to open it when Nasari asked him where he was going.

"I'm going to request an audience with the Princess, of course" he answered, with the look of a man who felt that he was stating the obvious. "I'll tell her that my children know the identity of the person who killed her father and brother."

"Don't!" Risha and Leorin cried out in unison.

The two siblings jumped off the bed and rushed to the door, positioning themselves in front of their father.

"What's the matter with you?" Jeraddin asked, baffled and a bit annoyed by this behavior. "Why don't you want me to speak with the..."

He paused as realization dawned on him. The next word to come out of Jeraddin's mouth was a curse-word, which earned him a reproachful look from his better half, as she quickly covered her son's ears.

*****

Princess Argath sat behind the desk in the large, oval-shaped room which her late father had used as his office. Her claws drummed rhythmically on the polished surface of the desk, while frustration was written across her features.

One question repeated itself inside Argath's head: How? How had Keron and Merees manage to escape her trap? Could someone have warned them? Excluding herself, only two more people knew about the plot. One of them was Lorenzo and the Princess immediately erased his name from the list of suspects. The fox had proven himself many times in her service, his loyalty was beyond any doubt. Her second associate on the other hand...

Argath thought back, she remembered how she had given Lorenzo the task to stake out the kitchen in order to find a dissenter among the staff and Lorenzo had found the perfect choice; a person that was both ambitious and resentful towards Bureno. Recruiting this individual to her cause had been all too easy. Or had it? The princess could not help but wonder if she had been too candid with her other associate? Could it be that in the struggle between his greed and his conscience, the latter had prevailed?

Argath's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" She called out.

"Its me, Your Highness", a voice replied from the other side.

"Come in."

The door opened and the Captain of the guard entered. He did not come empty-handed, tucked underneath his left arm was a strongbox.

"My men found this hidden away in Bureno's room", he said, putting the strongbox on the desk. Argath stood up and looked at it, she already knew what it contained.

"Have you opened it?" She asked.

"Yes, your highness. We found a key hidden in a jar, it fit perfectly."

"Let me have a look at the contents."

The Captain opened the box, inside was a leather pouch and a letter. Argath picked up the pouch and weighed it in one hand, it was quite heavy. She undid the string on the pouch and turned it upside down, a cascade of gold coins rained down on the desk.

"Now for the letter", she said.

The letter read as follows:

My friend

I knew that despite our so-called king naming you head of his kitchens, your loyalty would always  remain with me. Please, accept this small sum as a token of my gratitude. 

Signed: Count Veracci

"Veracci", the Captain  said, "that name reminds me of something."

"It should, Count Veracci was a nobleman who secretly moonlighted as the leader of the gang of brigands that terrorized the countryside, robbing travelers and holding them for ransom, that sort of thing. Anyway, he was eventually exposed but being a shrewd fellow, he escaped abroad, before he could be arrested and brought to justice."

"So, was Bureno part of this gang?"

"No, he was simply Veracci's cook. At one point, the count invited the royal family to a dinner at his manor and I remembered that my late father was full of praise for Bureno's cooking, that's why, as soon as Veracci had disappeared, he snatched the, at the time, young chef up and appointed him head of the palace kitchen."

"Forgive me for being so candid, your Highness, but I must say that his majesty's generosity was misplaced."

"Well, you knew my father, he always wanted to see the best in everyone. By the way, where's Bureno now?"

"We dragged him off to the dungeon, kicking and screaming and there he'll remain until the trial. Though it shouldn't take long, not with such crucial evidence against him."

The truth of the matter was that Count Veracci had passed away and that the letter he had written to Bureno was a forgery. News of the Count's death had been on its way to Vinoli, but the carrier-pigeon in charge of delivering the message had never reached its destination and Argath had ensured that there would be no inquiry as to his whereabouts.

For a moment, Argath felt a slight twinge of remorse. After all, Bureno was neither a target for her vengeance, nor was he threat to her claim to the throne. Should I have involved him in my plans? She wondered. No, she decided, swatting this thought away as if it had been the mental equivalent to a pesky fly. Bureno was always grateful to my father and would surely have revealed everything to him. He had to be the scapegoat, its as simple as that.

"Thank you, Captain" she said out-loud. "That will be all."

Having dismissed the Captain, Argath turned her focus to a few documents lying in front of her. However, a slight clearing of a throat caused her to look up again, only to notice that the captain was still present.

"Yes?" She asked, a twinge of annoyance in her tone.

"Forgive me, Your Highness", the Captain apologized. "However, there's something I need to get off my chest."

"Very well, proceed."

"I'd like to tender my resignation, Your Highness. That is all."

"What for?"

"I've failed in my duties, Your Highness", the Captain said stiffly, his voice filled with self-reproach..
"Princess Merees warned me that there would be an attempt on the King's life. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to prevent it."

Upon hearing her sister's name, Argath felt her heart skip a beat.

"Did my sister tell you anything else?" She asked, taking care to have her voice remain as neutral as possible.

The Captain thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Not that I can recall, Your Highness. I'm sorry that I couldn't be of anymore help."

"I see....Thank you, captain."

"About my resignation, Your Highness?"

"I assure you Captain, no-one is blaming you for what happened."

"I blame myself, Your highness. I'm sorry, but my mind is made up."

Argath stifled a sigh. She really didn't feel like dealing with this at the moment.

"Very well, if you've made up your mind, I guess there's nothing I can say to persuade you. Do you have a replacement in mind?"

"I do."

"Good. I'd like to meet with this person when things have settled down. In the meantime, remain on your post and don't tell anyone about your resignation."

The Captain clicked his heels together and saluted smartly, before leaving the room.

As soon as the Captain was gone, Argath turned to Lorenzo who had been standing in one of the corners of the room, silently watching everything which had transpired.

"Bring our droopy-eyed friend here", she commanded. "I wish him to clarify a few things."

"Oh, that won't be necessary", the fox said.

"What do you mean? He must have told Merees, who else could it be?"

A sly grin appeared on Lorenzo's face.

"Well, when I was in the dining hall, I noticed that your sister left the room along with general Jeraddin's daughter. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but now that I think about it, its quite a coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

"Well well", Argath said. "Bring the young lady here, Lorenzo. I think she and I should have a little chat."

The Princess leaned back in the chair, with her hands behind her back. In her eyes, two flames danced ominously.

  

Comics That Should Be Translated: Le Cri du Peuple

Been awhile since I did one of these, hasn't it?
Hello and welcome to a new installment of Comics That Should Be Translated; a recurring topic on this blog in which I write about a comic that I feel deserves to be available to an English-speaking audience. Today's comic is Le Cri du Peuple (The People's Cry), by Jacques Tardi, based on the novel by Jean Vautrin. Tardi and Vautrin are both friends and the two have collaborated closely on this adaptation. As was the case with Ibicus, I am not familiar with the original novel, but if Vautrin's enthusiastic foreword is any indication, the comic is to be regarded as the more or less, definitive version of this story.

Le Cri du Peuple was originally published in French between 2001 and 2004. Recently, a translation was available over here in Sweden thanks to Placebo Press, who published the first two parts in one volume, with the conclusion to be released in the fall. Its this edition that I've read.

Le Cri du Peuple takes place in 1871, during the few tumultuous months in which the people of Paris, tired of the social injustices of the day and led by a small group of young anarchists and socialists, managed to seize power and drive the French government into a temporary exile. Using these bloody events a a backdrop, Vautrin adds the mystery surrounding the identity of a young woman whose corpse was found in the river Seine, holding a glass-eye, as well as the story of two men whose pasts are about to catch up with them. One of these men is Tarpagnan, a former officer in the French army, who has switched over to the people's side. Tarpagnan is head-over-heels in love with the beautiful Gabriela Pucci, who is also the unhappy mistress of a local gangster. The other man is the mysterious Horace Grondin, a police-spy, who is obsessed with tracking down Tarpagnan, since he believes that the latter was behind the murder of his beloved step-daughter many years earlier. A crime which Grondin himself was punished for, by being sent to the penal colony of Devil's Island.

Jean Vautrin has written a highly engaging drama, which reminded me in more ways than one of the sort of tales spun by 19th century authors like Hugo and Dickens. Real events, such as the toppling of the statue of Napoleon I and historical figures, like the journalist Jules Vallés, mix and mingle with fictional characters, from all parts of society. Overall, the cast is very good, containing many colorful and memorable characters, with the ruthless and obsessed Grondin being a particular favorite.
There were times when I found the dialogue to be a bit stiff, not sure if that's the fault of the Swedish translation or not. That's a minor nitpick though.

Tardi, of course, is one of the greatest living comic creators and his art here is of the high standard that one has come to expect from him over the years. After finishing the book, I found myself returning to particular panels, so that I could admire them further.

All in all, Le Cri du Peuple is a splendid read and I'm looking forward to get my hands to the conclusion. Hopefully, the second half will be as good as the first.

Beauty by Hubert and Kerascoët

I was introduced to the work of French illustrator Kerascoët (actually a pseudonym for married couple, Marie Pommepuy and Sébastien Cosset) via the comic Beautiful Darkness, written by Fabien Vehlmann. Beautiful Darkness was a comic that more than lived up to its title; a fairy-tale whose dark contents were depicted in lovely watercolors. Beauty, written by Hubert is very much in the same vein, although the greater length (three volumes in the original French, collected into a single one for the English edition) allows for considerably more room for fleshing out the cast of characters, as well as even more death and depravity.

Beauty is not the first title Kerascoët and Hubert have collaborated on. Previously, they created Miss Don't Touch Me, a comic which I've yet to read, but have heard nothing but good things about.

Beauty focuses on Coddie, a young girl whose life changes forever when she accidentally releases a fairy from a spell. Having previously been regarded as something of a pariah in her village, due to being unattractive and smelling of fish, she's now perceived as enchantingly beautiful, with every man in the village falling for her. Unfortunately, the men's lusts and the jealousy of the women, forces Coddie to flee the village. She's rescued by the local lord and becomes his mistress. For awhile, everything seems fine, but Coddie soon finds herself dissatisfied with her new lot in life and, influenced by the fairy Mab, begins to about an even brighter future. Meanwhile, the king's sister Claudine is worried about the influence her brother's new wife has on him and on the Kingdom. Having learned of Coddie's beauty, she sets a plan in motion to make her the new queen...

With Beauty, Hubert has crafted a very engaging saga, populated by a cast of memorable characters; from the brutish Northern king, to the cunning Claudine and others, they all manage to engage and propel the story forward. In the beginning of this post, I mentioned that the characters of Beauty are more fleshed out than those in Beautiful Darkness and this is true. While there are a few characters that remain the same true out, others grow and develop as the story progresses. Being the protagonist, Coddie is unsurprisingly, the one that gets the most character development and not all of that is of the positive kind. While initially presented as a sympathetic character due to her being ostracized, later events reveal more of Coddie's flaws, which may lessen the reader's sympathy for her somewhat, but serves to make her a more well-rounded character.
All the events of the story, good and bad, are lovingly depicted by Keracoët's highly appealing artwork.

One thing I found a bit odd is the fact that Coddie's beauty only seem to affect men. I'm guessing that there are no lesbians or bisexual women to be found in Beauty's world? There is a minor male character that turns out to be gay though.
Still, that's a minor quibble and doesn't really change the quality of this comic. If you're not familiar with either Hubert or Kerascoët, than Beauty is an excellent introduction.