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mark monday's Reviews > The Emerald Princess and Other Decadent Fantasies
The Emerald Princess and Other Decadent Fantasies
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"Faust's Grandson" - you may want to offer your soul to Satan, but He may think such a paltry offering is... rather droll.
"The Mystery Woman" - you may idolize that girl and put her atop a pedestal, but She may just want to be... a merry tramp.
"Fantastic Tram" - you may think you're chasing her across time and space, but You are actually just.. sleeping off a binge.
"The Incredulous Parrot" - you may delight in the choir of lovely young maidens, but It compares them to... a load of camels.
"Pierrot and His Conscience" - you may mix with throngs, give all of yourself to a girl, but Your Conscience is... unimpressed.
"The Emerald Princess" - you may long for that strange and serpentine beauty, but Fate will turn fierce love to fiercer... hate...
and then back to love again...
to everything, turn turn turn, there is a season...
⚜
Four wispy delights; I've already forgotten them. But I do remember liking them! Like four little chocolate truffles.
One novella: "The Emerald Princess". A decadent extravaganza about a handsome pearl fisherman, his brave brother, a surreal journey through a series of nightmarescapes, and a Princess with the tongue of a deadly snake. 'Tis a bitter kiss that awaits the would-be ardent lovers she picks from the peasant crowds: what follows is short-lived bliss in her luxurious palace, some brief erotic grappling, and then an agonizing death. Champsaur must have written this one in the throes of a delirium, or perhaps was rhapsodical after overindulging in an absinthe binge. The prose is gorgeous, as befits a tale that reads like a particularly adult story from A Thousand and One Nights. Unfortunately for me, I found Champsour's lack of interest in explaining exactly why the painful deaths of countless charmed young men and especially one very brave servant girl were actually even necessary. Why Princess why? That lack of motivation really set my teeth on edge. Well, I guess that's decadence for you: an ornate style covering a beautiful but heartless body. (view spoiler)
There is one pure gem in the mix, "Pierrot and His Conscience". One evening, Pierrot rises from his grave to visit the Parisienne nightlife, to see if much has changed in the half-century since his death. And next to him rises a lovely damsel, his Conscience: always by his side, always respected but ignored, and clad in charming counterpoint to his vestments of pearl-white with ebony flair: she saunters about dressed all in black from head to toe, save for the occasional flash of white. Together they stroll through the crowds of gay Paree. And together they are disappointed about how tawdry things have become, sensuality replaced by a cheap lack of style and above all, a depressing cupidity. Things go from bad to worse when amorous Pierrot is fooled by a cruel, cunning woman who at least has style to burn. It ends in sighs, as the depressed pair return to their graveyard home. Alack & Alas for the remorseless wheel of time and the inevitable degradation of Parisienne party people!
This story was perfect from beginning to end. The style is sinuous and the characters plaintive, but best of all were the vivacious descriptions of the corrupted night life and the visions of how much more superior was the society of yesteryear. Of course one can't help but roll eyes at the idea of Old Man Felicien moaning and groaning about how things are just so tacky nowadays unlike the good old days when everything was so much more real and full of passion and and and boo hoo hoo. But I can't fault him, I sure do the same thing. Things were definitely cooler back when I was cool! Kids these days just don't know what they're missing etc etc etc.
"The Mystery Woman" - you may idolize that girl and put her atop a pedestal, but She may just want to be... a merry tramp.
"Fantastic Tram" - you may think you're chasing her across time and space, but You are actually just.. sleeping off a binge.
"The Incredulous Parrot" - you may delight in the choir of lovely young maidens, but It compares them to... a load of camels.
"Pierrot and His Conscience" - you may mix with throngs, give all of yourself to a girl, but Your Conscience is... unimpressed.
"The Emerald Princess" - you may long for that strange and serpentine beauty, but Fate will turn fierce love to fiercer... hate...
and then back to love again...
to everything, turn turn turn, there is a season...
⚜
Four wispy delights; I've already forgotten them. But I do remember liking them! Like four little chocolate truffles.
One novella: "The Emerald Princess". A decadent extravaganza about a handsome pearl fisherman, his brave brother, a surreal journey through a series of nightmarescapes, and a Princess with the tongue of a deadly snake. 'Tis a bitter kiss that awaits the would-be ardent lovers she picks from the peasant crowds: what follows is short-lived bliss in her luxurious palace, some brief erotic grappling, and then an agonizing death. Champsaur must have written this one in the throes of a delirium, or perhaps was rhapsodical after overindulging in an absinthe binge. The prose is gorgeous, as befits a tale that reads like a particularly adult story from A Thousand and One Nights. Unfortunately for me, I found Champsour's lack of interest in explaining exactly why the painful deaths of countless charmed young men and especially one very brave servant girl were actually even necessary. Why Princess why? That lack of motivation really set my teeth on edge. Well, I guess that's decadence for you: an ornate style covering a beautiful but heartless body. (view spoiler)
There is one pure gem in the mix, "Pierrot and His Conscience". One evening, Pierrot rises from his grave to visit the Parisienne nightlife, to see if much has changed in the half-century since his death. And next to him rises a lovely damsel, his Conscience: always by his side, always respected but ignored, and clad in charming counterpoint to his vestments of pearl-white with ebony flair: she saunters about dressed all in black from head to toe, save for the occasional flash of white. Together they stroll through the crowds of gay Paree. And together they are disappointed about how tawdry things have become, sensuality replaced by a cheap lack of style and above all, a depressing cupidity. Things go from bad to worse when amorous Pierrot is fooled by a cruel, cunning woman who at least has style to burn. It ends in sighs, as the depressed pair return to their graveyard home. Alack & Alas for the remorseless wheel of time and the inevitable degradation of Parisienne party people!
This story was perfect from beginning to end. The style is sinuous and the characters plaintive, but best of all were the vivacious descriptions of the corrupted night life and the visions of how much more superior was the society of yesteryear. Of course one can't help but roll eyes at the idea of Old Man Felicien moaning and groaning about how things are just so tacky nowadays unlike the good old days when everything was so much more real and full of passion and and and boo hoo hoo. But I can't fault him, I sure do the same thing. Things were definitely cooler back when I was cool! Kids these days just don't know what they're missing etc etc etc.
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The Emerald Princess and Other Decadent Fantasies.
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Reading Progress
March 14, 2020
–
Started Reading
March 14, 2020
– Shelved
April 8, 2020
– Shelved as:
la-décadanse
April 8, 2020
– Shelved as:
fantasy-classic
April 8, 2020
– Shelved as:
masterpiece-theatre
April 8, 2020
–
Finished Reading
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Debbie
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Apr 04, 2020 05:23AM
This sounds wonderful to me, I must read it! Thanks
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It is delightful so far! the last one I've read, "Pierrot", really kicked it up a notch - the prior stories were charming but thin. now all I have is the title novella, and I have high hopes for it.
Given the choice of atop a pedestal VS a merry tramp I know which I'd opt for.
You make it sound fabulous. Dammit.
honestly, only 1 entry was fabulous, the one about Pierrot. the rest of the short stories were... delightful but unmemorable. the titular novella was compelling and fabulously written, but there was something problematic for me about its callousness to supporting characters that put me off. but at least Pierrot and His Conscience was a win!
mark wrote: "honestly, only 1 entry was fabulous, the one about Pierrot. the rest of the short stories were... delightful but unmemorable. the titular novella was compelling and fabulously written, but there wa..."That's a better strike rate than a lot of writers, ya know...
