The Tarantulas’ Parlor
and
Other Unkind Tales

Léon Bloy

Translated by Brian Stableford

Praised by Borges, the Unkind Tales of Léon Bloy were produced in a phase of literary evolution that was exploratory and experimental, and hence intrinsically exciting. Lingering on the frontiers of Decadence, Naturalism, and Symbolism, these stories of the damned and the foolish, of terrible fates and ludicrous situations, helped map out the terrain of the Conte Cruel and are, probably, the author’s most noteworthy work.

In this, an authoritative translation of the volume originally published as Histories désobligeantes, Brian Stableford, in both his insightful introduction and his superb rendering of the tales, shines a much-needed light on Bloy’s savage genius.

 
About the Author
Léon Bloy (1846-1917) was a French writer and journalist who was the author of essays, novels, short stories, as well as a diary in eight volumes. In 1867 he made the acquaintance of Jules-Amadée Barbey d’Aurevilly, who not only stoked up his literary ambitions but was also responsible for his conversion to ardent Catholicism. Although primarily remembered today for his journals and essays, his volume of short stories Histoires désobligeantes (of which the present volume is a translation) might well be his definitive work.
 
Paperback, 286 pages
Release date: October 17, 2016
ISBN-13: 978-1-943813-15-5
Price: US$17.50

LIMITED EDITION of 60 copies, of which 55 will be made available to the public
Hardcover, 288 pages
Release date: October 17, 2016
Price: US$33.00