Blue of NoonOne of the twentieth century's great nihilist novels, Blue of Noon is a blackly compelling account of depravity and terror that retains all its shocking power today. Set in pre-war Europe, its narrator lurches despairingly from city to city in a surreal sexual and mental nightmare of squalor, sadism and drunken encounters - his journey into madness mirroring the fighting and marching on the streets outside. Confronting Fascism, the novel is torn between identifying with history's victims and being seduced by the violent glamour of its terrible victors. One of the most brilliant intellects and influential French writers of his time, Bataille's unflinching exploration of the dark forces beneath the surface of civilization defies all our expectations. |
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Page xiv
... Vienna , to the likening of Monsieur Melou to Landru , the infamous serial killer . Read as allegory , the encounters between Troppmann and a German dancer , who inflames his lust by suggestively manipulating a wax dummy ; or Troppmann ...
... Vienna , to the likening of Monsieur Melou to Landru , the infamous serial killer . Read as allegory , the encounters between Troppmann and a German dancer , who inflames his lust by suggestively manipulating a wax dummy ; or Troppmann ...
Page 30
... Vienna . In Vienna we rode by car to the hotel . When the car drew up , she told me to take care of the room and wait for her in the lobby - she had to go to the post office first . I had the luggage taken - in ; she kept the car . She ...
... Vienna . In Vienna we rode by car to the hotel . When the car drew up , she told me to take care of the room and wait for her in the lobby - she had to go to the post office first . I had the luggage taken - in ; she kept the car . She ...
Page 32
... Vienna when the assassination took place ? ' ' No , in Prüm . But I arrived in Vienna the next day . ' ' Being there must have upset you . ' ' No. ' This foolish , ugly girl horrified me by the consistency of her preoccupations . ' In ...
... Vienna when the assassination took place ? ' ' No , in Prüm . But I arrived in Vienna the next day . ' ' Being there must have upset you . ' ' No. ' This foolish , ugly girl horrified me by the consistency of her preoccupations . ' In ...
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Common terms and phrases
ancien régime André Breton Antonio anxiety arms asked Badalona Barcelona Bataille Bataille's began blood Blue of Noon burst café Café de Flore Calella cante jondo Catalan corpse Criolla crying dance dead death Dirty Dirty's door Dorothea dream dress drinking drunk empty everything eyes face feeling fell felt floor forehead frightened front Georges Bataille girl glass hair hand happen head Hitler Youth imagined insane inside kill kissed laughing Lazare Lazare's leave longer looked Lotte Lenya ludicrous maid Michel Monsieur Melou mother-in-law mouth naked never night once pain pale Prüm Ramblas saying seemed shouted sick singing sleep smile someone Spanish Civil War speaking spoke staring started stay stood stopped story street talking tears tell There's things thought told took train Troppmann turned ugly Vienna voice vomit waiting walked wanted window woman Xenie Xenie's