The Blood-Guzzler and Other Stories

Rachilde

Translated by Sue Boswell

Rachilde was the pseudonym employed by Marguerite Eymery (1860-1953). Though remembered today primarily for her novels, which include the Decadent masterpiece Monsieur Vénus, she was also an exceptional writer of short fiction.

The current volume, adeptly translated by Sue Boswell, brings together six of her short stories, none of which have previously appeared in English. This array of strange, Symbolist tales, sometimes brutal, always bizarre, strikes with a deep psychological power and deft artistry.

The work of a true genius, “The Blood-Guzzler and Other Stories” is an important addition to the writings of the Queen of Decadence available in English.

About the Author
“Rachilde” was the pen name of ­Marguerite Vallette-Eymery (1860–1953), one of the most important writers of the Decadent Movement. Her works include the novels Monsieur Vénus (1884), and The Princess of Darkness (1895), the latter book being written under the pseudonym Jean de Chilra. She also wrote a 1928 monograph on gender identity, Pourquoi je ne suis pas féministe (“Why I am not a Feminist”).

About the Translator
Sue Boswell studied French Language and Literature at UCL and for a time taught French at Goldsmiths University of London. She then moved into university administration, specialising in university external relations and communications. Later she became a translator for the Wiener Holocaust Library. Her translations include The Assassins and other Stories  by Marcel Schwob and The Last Train by Arnaud Rykner (both Snuggly Books 2020). Sue lives with her husband, Colin Boswell, in London and Ouveillan, a village near Narbonne in the Languedoc.

Paperback, 126 pages. Release date: 12 March, 2024
ISBN-13: 978-1-64525-143-9
Price: US$16.00

Hardcover, 128 pages. Limited edition of 60 copies
Release date: 12 March, 2024
Price: US$30.00

Other books by Rachilde:

The Demon of the Absurd (Snuggly Books, 2024)

The Princess of Darkness (Snuggly Books, 2023)