Clandestinity

Moresco (Distant Light) introduces an obscene and nostalgic dreamscape in this wondrously filthy collection. The four stories follow an unnamed protagonist at different periods of his life and lean into his perverse curiosity. In “The Blue Room,” the teenage protagonist develops a voyeuristic relationship with a dying old woman he calls the Signorina, sometimes watching her as she urinates. “The Hole” delves into his childhood obsession with an outhouse, in which he’s fascinated by all the small creatures he spies in it. Moresco reaches the height of his craft with “The King,” a story about a group of nobles who receive a king in exile. Moresco’s meandering, postmodern storytelling can be hard to follow, but the author is adept at conjuring mood and creating fascinating texture. At times there is a fairy tale–like quality, as when he recounts how the king “crossed the border secretly, through woods, by night.” Though the characters live in a technological age of motor scooters and television sets, their minds and hearts seem to occupy a simpler time. Those with a taste for the outré will be enchanted. (May)