Eat Him if You Like

A true incident from the Franco-Prussian war inspired this unnerving little tale of unthinking mob violence from Teulé (The Suicide Shop). One hot summer day in 1870, Alain de Monéys, the new deputy mayor of Beaussac, sets out on horseback for the nearby Saint-Roch fair. En route, he sees friends and neighbors, including farmers, artisans, a ragman, and the schoolmaster’s wife, with whom he exchanges pleasant words. Alain happens upon his outspoken cousin, Camille de Maillard, who’s engaged in a heated argument about the war. When Alain tries to defend Camille, his words are misunderstood. Neither civil nor religious powers are willing or able to defend Alain after he’s subjected to punches, stabs, lashes, and endless humiliations by the same people he so recently greeted. Teulé’s vivid account of ordinary folk inexplicably transformed into monsters resonates long after reading. (Oct.)