Poet, novelist, playwright, and chess enthusiast, Raymond Roussel (1877-1933) was one of the French belle epoque's most compelling literary figures. During his lifetime, Roussel's work was vociferously championed by the surrealists, but never achieved the widespread acclaim for which he yearned. "Ne[...]
The first of Roussel's two major prose works, "Impressions of Africa" is not, as the title may suggest, a conventional travel account, but an adventure story put together in a highly individual fashion and with an unusual time sequence, whereby the reader is even made to choose whether to begin at t[...]
Cantarel, a scholarly scientist, whose enormous wealth imposes no limits upon his prolific ingenuity, is taking a group of visitors on a tour of "Locus Solus", his secluded estate near Paris. One by one he introduces, demonstrates and expounds the discoveries and inventions of his fertile, encyclopa[...]
Den excentriske vetenskapsmannen Martial Canterel leder en grupp besökare genom sitt gods Locus Solus. På denna ensligt belägna plats får de bevittna en rad häpnadsväckande uppfinningar. En väderstyrd stensättningsjungfru lägger utdragna tänder till en avancerad mosaik. En rakad katt simma[...]