The Unknown Collaborator

Belgian writer Joly (1807–1870) is principally known for his retellings of Belgian history and legend. This collection, the last he assembled before his death, adds a touch of the supernatural. The Faustian “The Unknown Collaborator” describes Satan as a key influence on many of humanity’s greatest and most beautiful works of art and architecture, an unusual motif for the time period, especially because the author and the work remain staunchly Christian. “The End of a Story of Which the Beginning Is Familiar” purports to give the further history of the legendary seven-league boots, and it is an early environmentalist fantasy in its portrayal of leagues of devils simultaneously keeping the earth spinning on a literal axis and plotting ways to make the machine stop. Unfortunately, despite his general competence and well-researched history, Joly simply does not have the depth, breadth, or interest to make him of interest to anyone but academics. (Jan.)