![]() ![]() The scene turns expectation on its head as the priest is so fearful for the man that he ultimately tries to just get the man to say the bare minimum needed to ensure his salvation. At first the old man is agreeable enough to this, but as the priest’s dogmatism and accusatory tone becomes oppressive, the man has enough and tries to send the priest away. In addition to the non-erotic intimacy of dying, itself, there’s a scene in which a priest comes to offer the dying man last rites. It could be argued that the most fascinating scenes involve an old man who is dying. ![]() It should also be pointed out that not all of what the narrator witnesses is carnal in nature. The author is as much interested in the pillow talk as he is in the acts of intimacy, which it’s not clear how well he can see anyways. While the events of the book are voyeuristic and said voyeur does witness various sexual dalliances, it’s not a graphic – and certainly not a pornographic – work. The book describes what this man witnesses, as well as doing some philosophizing about what he sees and the conversations he hears. An unnamed narrator, lodging at a rooming house, discovers that he can see and hear into an adjacent room. It’s a short work with a simple premise, but is nevertheless psychologically and philosophically intriguing. This is a translation of the French novel, L’Enfer, which is alternatively entitled Hell or The Inferno in various English language editions. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |