Malpertuis
by Jean Ray
First published 1976 · 187 pages · about 3 hours to read
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About this book
Malpertuis is a Belgian novel of the fantastic by Jean Ray, written in French, about a sprawling, decaying mansion and the strange family and forces that gather within it. Readers come to it for its atmosphere and for the way it blends the gothic house story with the cosmic and uncanny, a link to the weird fiction of H. P. Lovecraft.
A young man is drawn into Malpertuis, an old and crumbling house in a northern port city, where a household of relatives lives under the rule of a wealthy and ailing head of family. The house seems to hold secrets of its own, and the people in it are not what they first appear.
Summary written with AI from the book's details.
Will you like it?
Readers who enjoy the old gothic house story and the uncanny will find much here, especially those drawn to weird fiction. Its setting, a decaying mansion in a northern port city with a household that is hard to trust, makes it a good choice for anyone who likes atmosphere built slowly.
- haunted house
- inheritance
- the uncanny
- family as trap
- fate
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Quick answers
- What age is Malpertuis for?
- Adults.
- Is Malpertuis a standalone?
- Yes, it stands on its own.
- Is Malpertuis based on a true story?
- No, it's fiction.
- Has Malpertuis been made into a film or TV series?
- Yes: Malpertuis (1971 film).
- Does Malpertuis have violence, sex or strong language?
- Nothing a reader needs warning about.
Written with AI from what's known about the book.
Reader's guide
Themesthe haunted house, inheritance and greed, the uncanny, fate and the sinister, the family as a trap
the haunted house · inheritance and greed · the uncanny · fate and the sinister · the family as a trap
StyleWritten in French in a measured, ornate prose that builds dread slowly. The narrative moves through a series of episodes and encounters inside the house rather than a tight race to a single goal. It is of novel length, about 187 pages in the listed edition.
Written in French in a measured, ornate prose that builds dread slowly. The narrative moves through a series of episodes and encounters inside the house rather than a tight race to a single goal. It is of novel length, about 187 pages in the listed edition.
How it was writtenJean Ray (1887 to 1964) was the pen name of Raymond Jean Marie de Kremer, a Belgian writer who worked in French and became known for fantastic and macabre fiction, including many short stories. Malpertuis is generally dated to 1943, when it first appeared in Belgium; the 1976 date in the details is probably a later edition.
Jean Ray (1887 to 1964) was the pen name of Raymond Jean Marie de Kremer, a Belgian writer who worked in French and became known for fantastic and macabre fiction, including many short stories. Malpertuis is generally dated to 1943, when it first appeared in Belgium; the 1976 date in the details is probably a later edition.
How it was receivedMalpertuis is considered one of Jean Ray's major works and is often named among the notable Francophone works of weird and fantastic fiction. It has been reprinted several times and is read today by fans of the gothic and the weird. Its reputation rests mainly on its atmosphere and imagination rather than on mass readership.
Malpertuis is considered one of Jean Ray's major works and is often named among the notable Francophone works of weird and fantastic fiction. It has been reprinted several times and is read today by fans of the gothic and the weird. Its reputation rests mainly on its atmosphere and imagination rather than on mass readership.
Questions to discussHow does the house work as a character, and what does it do to the people who live inside it?
These may talk about the whole book.
- How does the house work as a character, and what does it do to the people who live inside it?
- Why does Ray keep the boundary between the natural and the supernatural unclear for so long?
- What does the family's preoccupation with inheritance reveal about the household?
- How does the narrator's position as an outsider shape what the reader learns?
- How does Malpertuis compare with the English gothic tradition, and where does it depart from it?
- Does the book's uncertainty feel like a flaw or a deliberate method?
Written with AI from what's known about the book.
More by Jean Ray
- Jean Ray, Thomas OwenJean Ray, Thomas Owen2016
- La malédiction des vieilles demeuresLa malédiction des vieilles demeures2010
- Vlaamsche FilmkensVlaamsche Filmkens2009
- La cité de l'indicible peurLa cité de l'indicible peur2009
- Premiers TextesPremiers Textes2009
- L'ami du livreL'ami du livre2008
Parts of this page are written with AI from what's known about the book, and can get details wrong. How BookSense works