Brainquake

First published in French in 1993, this so-called “lost” novel from director Fuller (1912–1997) is, like his work for the big screen, rough around the edges and blunt as a head butt. In a plot that echoes that of Fuller’s best-known film, Pickup on South Street, Paul Page suffers “brainquakes”—seizures during which he responds violently to horrifying visions. Paul is working as a bagman for the mob in New York City, making money drops, when he falls in love with Michelle Troy, a gangster’s widow. Believing Michelle’s life to be in danger, Paul flees to Paris with her and $10 million of mob money. In hot pursuit is a mob assassin who dresses as a priest and crucifies his victims. The writing is pulpy and the violence brutal, but Fuller explodes a few surprises to keep the plot unpredictable, and his mordant asides on crime and corruption elevate this tale above much standard genre fare. (Sept.)