The Demon of the Absurd

The 13 short stories, prose poems, and dialogues collected in this provocative volume showcase what Marcel Schwob, in his preface, describes as the “inimitable imagination” of Rachilde, the pen name of Marguerite Vallette-Eymery (1860–1953). In the closet drama “A Bother,” a guardian angel projects a variety of possible futures to be chosen by the soul of an unborn baby, each one inevitably ending in despair. “The Panther” explores the inherent cruelty of humanity in its depiction of a wild beast that refuses to maul a victim in a gladiatorial arena and the savage punishment inflicted upon it. In “The Tooth,” the unexpected loss of a tooth immerses an otherwise healthy young woman in gloomy reflections on mortality. Rachilde’s appraisals of human nature—tinged with a singular cynicism that sets them apart from other absurdist works of the time—are brought out expressively through Garrett’s translation. Fans and scholars of fin de siècle France’s decadent movement will want to add this to their bookshelves. (May)