Synopsis
Jean Ray brilliantly upends the haunted-house tradition in this widely acclaimed puzzlebox of a novel
A reinvention of the Gothic novel and an established classic of fantastic literature, Malpertuis is as inventive and gripping today as when it first appeared in French in the dark year of 1943.
Malpertuis is a puzzle box of nested narratives wrested from a set of manuscripts stolen from a monastery. A bizarre collection of distrustful relatives has gathered together in the ancient stone mansion of a sea-trading dynasty for the impending death of the occult scientist, Uncle Cassave, and the reading of his will. Forced to dwell together for the remainder of their lives within the stifling walls of Malpertuis for the sake of a cursed inheritance, their banal existence gradually gives way to love affairs and secret plots, as the building slowly exposes a malevolence that eventually leads to a series of ghastly deaths.
The eccentric personalities it houses―which include an obsessive taxidermist, a hypochondriac, a trio of vengeful sisters and a former paint store manager who has gone mad―begin to shed like skins to reveal yet another hidden story buried in the novel’s structure, one that turns the haunted-house tradition on its head and culminates in an apocalyptic denouement.
Jean Ray (1887–1964) is the best known of the multiple pseudonyms of Raymundus Joannes Maria de Kremer, a pivotal figure in the “Belgian School of the Strange,” who authored some 6,500 texts in his lifetime.
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Malpertuis
Seller: Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Very Good. Very Good - Crisp, clean, unread book with some shelfwear/edgewear, may have a remainder mark - NICE PAPERBACK Standard-sized. Seller Inventory # M1939663709Z2
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Malpertuis : Story of an Extraordinary House
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
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Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition. Seller Inventory # 42599950
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Malpertuis
Seller: Broad Street Books, Branchville, NJ, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: As New. Book is in excellent condition, text is unmarked and pages are tight. Seller Inventory # 68131
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Malpertuis : Story of an Extraordinary House
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 42599950-n
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Malpertuis [Paperback] Ray, Jean; White, Iain and Nicolay, Scott
Seller: Lakeside Books, Benton Harbor, MI, U.S.A.
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Condition: New. Brand New! Not Overstocks or Low Quality Book Club Editions! Direct From the Publisher! We're not a giant, faceless warehouse organization! We're a small town bookstore that loves books and loves it's customers! Buy from Lakeside Books! Seller Inventory # OTF-S-9781939663702
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Malpertuis
Seller: Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
paperback. Condition: Acceptable. Acceptable - This is a significantly damaged book. It should be considered a reading copy only. Please order this book only if you are interested in the content and not the condition. May be ex-library. PAPERBACK Standard-sized. Seller Inventory # M1939663709Z4
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Malpertuis
Seller: Lucky's Textbooks, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
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Condition: New. Seller Inventory # ABLIING23Mar2912160345724
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Malpertuis (Paperback)
Seller: Grand Eagle Retail, Bensenville, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Jean Ray brilliantly upends the haunted-house tradition in this widely acclaimed puzzlebox of a novelA reinvention of the Gothic novel and an established classic of fantastic literature, Malpertuis is as inventive and gripping today as when it first appeared in French in the dark year of 1943. Malpertuis is a puzzle box of nested narratives wrested from a set of manuscripts stolen from a monastery. A bizarre collection of distrustful relatives has gathered together in the ancient stone mansion of a sea-trading dynasty for the impending death of the occult scientist, Uncle Cassave, and the reading of his will. Forced to dwell together for the remainder of their lives within the stifling walls of Malpertuis for the sake of a cursed inheritance, their banal existence gradually gives way to love affairs and secret plots, as the building slowly exposes a malevolence that eventually leads to a series of ghastly deaths. The eccentric personalities it houses--which include an obsessive taxidermist, a hypochondriac, a trio of vengeful sisters and a former paint store manager who has gone mad--begin to shed like skins to reveal yet another hidden story buried in the novel's structure, one that turns the haunted-house tradition on its head and culminates in an apocalyptic denouement. Jean Ray (1887-1964) is the best known of the multiple pseudonyms of Raymundus Joannes Maria de Kremer, a pivotal figure in the "Belgian School of the Strange," who authored some 6,500 texts in his lifetime. The prison-like edifice of a mysterious ancient townhouse and the gloom-laden landscape of Flanders form the backdrop to this intense, unrelenting, but beautifully crafted fantasy by Belgian author Jean Ray. What ghastly message is the slowly dying Cassave (played by Orson Welles in the screen adaptation) trying to bring us? MALPERTIUS is considered one of the greatest Gothic novels ever written. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781939663702
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Malpertuis
Seller: Rarewaves USA, OSWEGO, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # LU-9781939663702
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Malpertuis
Seller: Best Price, Torrance, CA, U.S.A.
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Condition: New. SUPER FAST SHIPPING. Seller Inventory # 9781939663702