The Shadow

Maurice Level

Translated from the French by Bérengère Drillien

“I am neither a roué nor a degenerate; yet there are days when certain visions rise so definitely before me and I am a prey to such violent desires, that if, hitherto, I have been able to resist their attraction, it is impossible for me to say whether, an hour hence, I shall be able to do so. At other times, I feel strangely weary, as though I had just accomplished some gigantic task. I feel that my bones are broken, my muscles torn, and it is when I wake up that I feel this—when I wake up, after eight hours’ sleep and rest, following no excess and troubled by no dreams. . . . I also have fits of inexplicable rage; of fury that would urge me to any crime; preconceived dislikes; I am so sensitive and excitable, that a word, a gesture, are sufficient to unhinge me: I suffer almost physically from all these things.”

This translation of L’Ombre is an amended and somewhat revised version of that which was originally released in 1923, under the title Those Who Return.

About the Author
Maurice Level (1875-1926) was a writer of fiction and drama who specialized in Contes Cruels which were printed regularly in Le Journal, Le Monde Illustré, and other newspapers. He wrote thirteen novels and ten plays, most of which were performed at “Le Grand Guignol,” the theatre specializing in naturalistic productions which emphasized blood and gore.

Paperback, 164 pages. Release date: December 10, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-1-94381-386-5
Price: US$15.50

Hardcover, 166 pages. Limited edition of 70 copies
Release date: December 10, 2018
Price: US$29.00