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Beskrivelse
Characterized by gratuitous acts of brutality and surprise endings, these tales of obsession and violence are the creations of a twentieth-century French writer whose works were staged by the legendary Théâtre du Grand-Guignol of Paris. The precursors of modern thrillers and slasher films, these stories have been specially selected for this edition and introduced by horror specialist S. T. Joshi. Thirty-nine conte cruel ('cruel tales') include 'In the Light of the Red Lamp,' in which a husband's photographs of his dead wife reveal a deeper tragedy; 'Fascination,' the tale of a morbid passion that develops when the narrator, determined to stay at home, shoots his mistress for the sake of peace and quiet; and 'The Bastard,' concerning a father's suspicions about his son's paternity. Other stories include 'The Taint,' a view of infanticide as mercy-killing; 'The Test,' in which an accused murderer is forced to reenact his crime; and 'A Maniac,' recounting a thrill-seeker's ghoulish impulse to witness death-defying stunts gone wrong.