The Tenant

Roland Topor

Topor's brilliant novel, awash in nihilism, surrealism, and existential angst, is best remembered these days as the basis for one of Roman Polanski's most universally scorned movies. Millipede Press gives us a handsome fortieth anniversary edition here with an introduction by the equally talented wordsmith Thomas Ligotti, who spends twenty pages comparing Topor, favorably, to the equally absurd, but far more optimistic, Pirandello. Ligotti's introduction alone is worth the cover price, or would be had Ligotti turned it into something a bit longer (and thrown in a few Lovecraftian horrors along the way); as it is, even if you hate the novel and selected short stories (with a bit of Topor's artwork) that follow it, you won't feel like you've thrown your money away. Anything Thomas Ligotti writes is well worth your time.

Chances are, though, you're going to like what you read. Ligotti's Pirandello comparison is, of course, apt; Topor has the same sense of whimsy, but it seems disturbingly inappropriate in a book so relentlessly bleak. This, of course, only heightens the outrageousness, the effect of which is that no matter how insane things get, the reader is willing to accept just about anything. Does it work? You bet it does.

It should be no surprise that the accompanying stories here have the quality of fairy tales, and the art will be no surprise to anyone who's seen Fantastic Planet. (Monty Python fans will recognize it as well; Topor was an obvious influence on Terry Gilliam.) There's a great deal to like about this book; if you're unfamiliar with Topor, or only familiar with his film work, this edition of The Tenant is a great starting point.