The Necrophiliac

The Necrophiliac (French: Le Nécrophile) is the debut novel by French writer, Gabrielle Wittkop (1920–2002), written in 1972.[1] A transgressive, epistolary novel in the form of a diary, follows the life of Parisian necrophile, Lucien N. The middle-aged antique dealer appears normal to the outside world, but lives a secret life at night, searching for corpses to satisfy his macabre fetish, digging up bodies from Montparnasse Cemetery to the catacombs of Naples.[2] The novel was not translated into English until 2011, by Don Bapst.[3][4]

The Necrophiliac
First edition cover
AuthorGabrielle Wittkop
Original titleLe Nécrophile
TranslatorDon Bapst
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Genre
PublisherRégine Deforges
Publication date
1972
Published in English
2011
Media typePrint
Pages167
OCLC463479889
843/.914
LC ClassPQ2683.I82 N4

Reception

Nicholas Lezard, writing for The Guardian, wrote "This would be a poor and revolting little book...if it did not have such a poised tone and sensibility, such intelligence, behind it...This is a masterpiece."[5] Publishers Weekly gave a negative review, writing "While the material is inarguably gruesome, it's not especially smart or alarming, though it may hold some appeal to the young and disaffected who haven't yet been turned on to the marquis de Sade."[6]

References
  1. "Gabrielle Wittkop". The Independent. 2014-01-26. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  2. "Fiction Book Review: The Necrophiliac by Gabrielle Wittkop". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  3. "The Necrophiliac by Gabrielle Wittkop – review". the Guardian. 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  4. Wittkop-Ménardeau, Gabrielle (2011). The necrophiliac = Le nécrophile. Don Bapst. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55490-943-8. OCLC 733354532.
  5. Lezard, Nicholas (21 July 2011). "The Necrophiliac by Gabrielle Wittkop – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  6. "The Necrophiliac by Gabrielle Wittkop". Publishers Weekly. February 21, 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
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