The Sufferings of Prince Sternenhoch

Gothic descent into madness
This is a lovely edition by Twisted Spoon Press of a very peculiar novel. Considering it was written in the 1920s it is fairly obscene: sadomasochism, murder, necrophilia, and other things too perverse to mention here. It tells the story of Prince Sternenhoch, a German aristocrat, how he becomes fascinated with a "plain" woman named Helga and how, as a consequence of this fascination, he slowly loses his mind. Based on Sternenhoch's diary, it traces the Prince's outrageous decline from his warped perspective. The style has a chaotic feel, rich with hallucinations and crazy machinations. A funny and strangely engaging story, especially when Sternenhoch's insanity takes hold.

I read this one to assist my wife's sister's thesis and wound up engrossed. It should be noted that my involvement was finite and confined to a single reading of this book only.

> Ladislav Klima, Les souffrances du prince Sternenhoch, Editions de la Différence, 1987 ;
Id., Je suis la Volonté absolue. Café-Clima, 1984 ;
Id., Instant et éternité. La Différence (à paraître) ;
Jakub Deml, Lumière oubliée. Café-Clima. 1984 ;
Id., Rêve d’automne, L’Alphée, 1985.
Se reporter à l'article de Erika ABRAMS
In: Revue Esprit No. 127 (6) (Juin 1987), pp. 108-113… ; (en ligne),
URL : https://esprit.presse.fr/article/erika-abrams/on-ne-sait-qui-d-intempestif-13052