The City of Unspeakable Fear (French: La Cité de l'indicible peur) is a 1943 novel by the Belgian writer Jean Ray. It is a murder mystery set in an English small town, with elements of detective story, horror and parody.[1]
| Author | Jean Ray |
|---|---|
| Original title | La Cité de l'indicible peur |
| Translator | Scott Nicolay |
| Language | French |
| Publisher | Les Auteurs Associés |
Publication date | 1943 |
| Publication place | Belgium |
Published in English | 2023 |
| Pages | 188 |
It was first published in Belgium eight days after Ray's most famous work, the novel Malpertuis, in 1943. Both works were written while Ray was living in Ghent under Nazi occupation.[2] The book was the basis for the 1964 film The Big Scare, directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky and starring Bourvil.[3] It was translated by Scott Nicolay in 2023 and published in English as The City of Unspeakable Fear.[1]
Synopsis
editThe story follows a retired Scotland Yard officer, Sidney Terence Trigger ("Triggs"), who moves to the fictional town of Ingersham in Southeast England. Expecting to settle down into a tranquil rural life, he instead finds that the residents of Ingersham anticipate a "great fear" striking the town. A series of deaths and apparent supernatural incidents draw Triggs into the role of detective, trying to identify what is real in an environment of paranoia.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b Stone, Will (12 January 2024). "Trapped in the hall of mirrors". The Times Literary Supplement. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ a b Quietus, The (2023-09-16). "An England Of The Imagination: The Small Town Weirdness Of Jean Ray". The Quietus. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
- ^ "The Big Scare". Unifrance. Retrieved 15 May 2024.