Claude Seignolle (1917–2018)

In contrast to the two novellas of The Accursed which were steeped in rural life, the stories of this collection vary in their subject matter and setting. From Poe-like (Night Horses, Starfish) terror to armchair horror (Nightcharmer), (almost) urban legendry (Hitching a Ride) and modern suspense (). Folk horror is not absent; three of the stories are of the writing and setting hue characteristic of Sologne. Seignolle is here revealed as a flexible writer with a wide palette.

The Nightcharmer: The protagonist visits the tower of a secluded nobleman who collects embalmed animals. There he learns about the Nightcharmer, a legendary bird residing in the surrounding marshland, its cry dangerously enchanting.
Armchair horror meets folklore. The language is very different from the rustic intensity of The Accursed. Still, nature plays a big role in the story. 3/5

A Dog Story: Two soldiers in the trenches of the Maginot line meet a sickly, starving dog, which is extremely difficult to get rid of.
A harsh, almost painful little story. The hell of battle trenches is described in an extreme realism, the dog itself revealed as a symbol of the unglorified nature of war. A tough read. 3/5

The Healer: A village healer with the power of absorbing diseases into his body, and then neutralizing them.
Language-wise it is a return to the rural prose of the Accursed. Bombastic natural metaphors and personifications. Seignolle weaves shamanic lore into the plot, while also drawing with ominous and uncomfortable strokes. Excellent material. 4/5

Starfish: After a face plastic surgery, a starlet temporarily retires to a mansion. There she succumbs to her vainglorious curiosity.
Something out of Poe with a hint of tragic Greek mythology (Aegeus), this is an effective little story. 3/5

The Outsider: After the suicide of the village smith a strange outsider takes up his trade, reawakening the occult power of the forge.
A magnificent example of folk writing, this brooding novelette (by far the lengthier of the book's stories) is rural Seignolle at his best. Amazing, highly symbolic imagery of a mythological aspect, a viscous language grounded in nature and country life and a tragic story which traverses seamlessly the line between reality and legend. The book's high point, by far. 5/5

The Last Rites: Concerning the remains of a pious nun on her way to sainthood and an unfaithful wife.
This one feels slightly disjointed. Part of the rural cycle, it doesn't manage to balance or resolve its plot threads. 2/5

Hitching a Ride: Bored with his lonely car voyage, the protagonist picks up a strange hitchhiker.
A short and effective piece of writing that falls somewhere between an urban legend and a fable. Weird and refreshing. 3.5/5

Night Horses: To reach his fiancee, the protagonist sets off on a nocturnal trek through the countryside, despite being warned against it by the locals. At some point he is picked up by an uncanny carriage.
This story sets off in a highly satisfying way and proceeds so, stumbling only at the (somewhat Poe-esque) ending. I feel that it could be much better if it stayed at the countryside and poured more fuel onto the folklore department. Still, a very enjoyable reading. 4/5

All in all a very solid collection with an unparalleled high point at The Outsider.… (mere)

An inexpensive collection of supernatural tales by Seignolle, little known in the English speaking world, but highly regarded in France both for his work as a folklorist and for his superb ghost stories. The translation is top-notch, and the pieces here draw their power from Seignoll's masterful evocation of rural France, its people, traditions and superstitions. Fans of classic era British supernatural writers such as Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen and M.R. James will recognise a kindred spirit here, and will want to search out his short novel 'The Possessed'.… (mere)

Les admirables récits qui composent ce recueil sont parmi les plus caractéristiques de l'art de Seignolle, un art qu'admirèrent Cendrars, Lawrence Durrell ou Mac Orlan.
Seignolle chante la Sologne, terre des eaux dormantes, des non-dits et des rumeurs enfouies. Là, les paysans redoutent le nouveau. Si un étranger s'établit au village on dit que c'est le diable. On prédit le malheur et il arrive...
Là, les créatures chimériques tapies dans les mémoires trouvent leur royaume... Du Hupeur - oiseau mythique aux pouvoirs maléfiques - au Gâloup, qui parle une langue plus claire que celle des hommes.
La frontière entre le fantastique et la réalité est abolie. Le miroir de nos âmes, tantôt noires, tantôt roses, nous est tendu à travers des nouvelles qui célèbrent la vie avec gourmandise ou angoisse.… (mere)