In 18th-century France, science and reason are beginning to topple
the old regime. But beneath the enlightened surface, injustice,
superstition and licentiousness are still at work. Latour Quiros
grows up with a twisted attitude towards women, an unhealthy
interest in cruelty and an inability to feel physical or emotional
pain, which lead him to Paris, to the study of anatomy and to
murder. Thinking mistakenly that his mother was poisoned, he sets
out to kill eight people on a list he finds among her effects,
dissecting his victims to try to find the seat of pain. In a
brothel, he encounters the Marquis de Sade, who employs him as his
valet. Latour soon finds his life beginning to echo that of the
Marquis; the story follows their parallel careers as libertine and
serial killer, culminating in the madhouse at Charenton.
Frobenius's book is fable, pathology, historical and philosophical
enquiry and crime novel, all in one. His characters are caught up
in webs of power and sexuality which echo the writings of Freud,
Artaud and Foucault. Latour actually existed, but in this novel he
becomes more important than de Sade as an example of how extreme
behaviour arises and is policed. In the end, it is Latour who
virtually rewrites de Sade's works. Through Latour's murderous
application of scalpel and pen, Frobenius also questions the
objectivity of scientists and artists who take nature apart to find
out how it works. As tightly written as a thriller, cutting between
incidents and narrators, we pursue a killer's career with horror
and fascination, and try to work out how much he is responsible for
his actions and how much can be attributed to the society he lives
in. (Kirkus UK)
In 18th-century Honfleur, a child is born with a terrifying
destiny before him. His name is Latour, and he is incapable of
feeling pain. Obsessed by his abnormality and fascinated by the
mysteries of pain, Latour loses himself in a spiral of murder, and
dissection, trying to fathom the secrets of the human body. Finally
he meets the infamous Marquis de Sade, whose faithful servant and
accomplice he becomes.
"A classic of our time."--"L'Hebdo Litteraire"
'An atmosphere strongly reminiscent of Suskind's "Perfume." A
tour de force in horror from which it is impossible to escape.'--
"Questions de Femmes"
"An atmosphere strongly reminiscent of Suskind's "Perfume." A
tour de force in horror from which it is impossible to escape.'--
"Questions de Femmes"
Born in Olso in 1965, Nikolaj Frobenius has worked as a
scriptwriter for both the theatre and cinema.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
