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Gerard Sorme #1
Riti notturni
Scritto quasi in contemporanea con il saggio The Outsider e pubblicato nel 1960, Riti notturni apre la trilogia di Colin Wilson, tra i grandi irregolari della letteratura inglese. Anche qui l’autore torna a indagare, in forma narrativa, la figura dell’‘outsider�, un intellettuale che sfida le convenzioni sociali alla ricerca del senso profondo della vita.
Gerard Sorme, un giovane londinese solitario, fa amicizia con Austin Nunne, artista omosessuale ricco, affascinante e dagli irrefrenabili appetiti sessuali. Nel frattempo, nei vicoli bui del quartiere di Whitechapel, un serial killer uccide con una brutalità che ricorda quella di Jack lo Squartatore. La polizia sospetta che si tratti di un maniaco, ma Gerard ha una sua teoria sulle ragioni profonde di quegli omicidi�
Una storia evocativa, potente, che spalanca interrogativi sul confine tra realtà e illusione e indaga le pulsioni ancestrali che attanagliano l’uomo.
Gerard Sorme, un giovane londinese solitario, fa amicizia con Austin Nunne, artista omosessuale ricco, affascinante e dagli irrefrenabili appetiti sessuali. Nel frattempo, nei vicoli bui del quartiere di Whitechapel, un serial killer uccide con una brutalità che ricorda quella di Jack lo Squartatore. La polizia sospetta che si tratti di un maniaco, ma Gerard ha una sua teoria sulle ragioni profonde di quegli omicidi�
Una storia evocativa, potente, che spalanca interrogativi sul confine tra realtà e illusione e indaga le pulsioni ancestrali che attanagliano l’uomo.
445 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
36 people are currently reading
738 people want to read
About the author
Colin Wilson
473books1,253followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the ŷ database.
Colin Henry Wilson was born and raised in Leicester, England, U.K. He left school at 16, worked in factories and various occupations, and read in his spare time. When Wilson was 24, Gollancz published The Outsider (1956) which examines the role of the social 'outsider' in seminal works of various key literary and cultural figures. These include Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway, Hermann Hesse, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, William James, T. E. Lawrence, Vaslav Nijinsky and Vincent Van Gogh and Wilson discusses his perception of Social alienation in their work. The book was a best seller and helped popularize existentialism in Britain. Critical praise though, was short-lived and Wilson was soon widely criticized.
Wilson's works after The Outsider focused on positive aspects of human psychology, such as peak experiences and the narrowness of consciousness. He admired the humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow and corresponded with him. Wilson wrote The War Against Sleep: The Philosophy of Gurdjieff on the life, work and philosophy of G. I. Gurdjieff and an accessible introduction to the Greek-Armenian mystic in 1980. He argues throughout his work that the existentialist focus on defeat or nausea is only a partial representation of reality and that there is no particular reason for accepting it. Wilson views normal, everyday consciousness buffeted by the moment, as "blinkered" and argues that it should not be accepted as showing us the truth about reality. This blinkering has some evolutionary advantages in that it stops us from being completely immersed in wonder, or in the huge stream of events, and hence unable to act. However, to live properly we need to access more than this everyday consciousness. Wilson believes that our peak experiences of joy and meaningfulness are as real as our experiences of angst and, since we are more fully alive at these moments, they are more real. These experiences can be cultivated through concentration, paying attention, relaxation and certain types of work.
Colin Henry Wilson was born and raised in Leicester, England, U.K. He left school at 16, worked in factories and various occupations, and read in his spare time. When Wilson was 24, Gollancz published The Outsider (1956) which examines the role of the social 'outsider' in seminal works of various key literary and cultural figures. These include Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway, Hermann Hesse, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, William James, T. E. Lawrence, Vaslav Nijinsky and Vincent Van Gogh and Wilson discusses his perception of Social alienation in their work. The book was a best seller and helped popularize existentialism in Britain. Critical praise though, was short-lived and Wilson was soon widely criticized.
Wilson's works after The Outsider focused on positive aspects of human psychology, such as peak experiences and the narrowness of consciousness. He admired the humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow and corresponded with him. Wilson wrote The War Against Sleep: The Philosophy of Gurdjieff on the life, work and philosophy of G. I. Gurdjieff and an accessible introduction to the Greek-Armenian mystic in 1980. He argues throughout his work that the existentialist focus on defeat or nausea is only a partial representation of reality and that there is no particular reason for accepting it. Wilson views normal, everyday consciousness buffeted by the moment, as "blinkered" and argues that it should not be accepted as showing us the truth about reality. This blinkering has some evolutionary advantages in that it stops us from being completely immersed in wonder, or in the huge stream of events, and hence unable to act. However, to live properly we need to access more than this everyday consciousness. Wilson believes that our peak experiences of joy and meaningfulness are as real as our experiences of angst and, since we are more fully alive at these moments, they are more real. These experiences can be cultivated through concentration, paying attention, relaxation and certain types of work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 5, 2020
Non è la San Pietroburgo di Raskolnikov ma la Londra di Sorme, che alla vodka preferisce whisky e birra in generose dosi; e il tè, che qui scorre a fiumi, non si versa dal samovar (il più indispensabile degli oggetti russi), ma pur con tutte le differenze del caso - è passato esattamente un secolo - non siamo tanto lontani.
Wilson non ha paura di sporcarsi le mani, scherza col fuoco e si brucia pure, di certo non gli manca il coraggio.
I dibattiti da filosofia del delitto, le considerazioni crimonologiche sul disturbo mentale (disturbo, disordine, malattia? siamo certi?), con cui Sorme e amici si intrattengono per tutto il romanzo, mentre dopo settant'anni dai fatti di Jack lo Squartatore a Whitechapel imperversa un nuovo serial killer, non sono distaccati come potrebbe accadere in Dürrenmatt (altro campione del genere), ma rimestano nel torbido e nel morboso, sviscerano religiosità, sessualità, perversioni, sadismo, pedofilia, violenza come ribellione all'ordine costituito, omicidio come massima espressione di libertà, in un sostrato di arte e letteratura che funge quasi da basso continuo, e le lunghe chiacchierate nei pub, nelle villette di periferia, o nelle stanze in affitto con le stufette a penny creano un'atmosfera irripetibile; è la Londra del '56 ma è anche una Londra fuori dal tempo, piovosa come si conviene, bellissima.
Wilson non ha paura di sporcarsi le mani, scherza col fuoco e si brucia pure, di certo non gli manca il coraggio.
I dibattiti da filosofia del delitto, le considerazioni crimonologiche sul disturbo mentale (disturbo, disordine, malattia? siamo certi?), con cui Sorme e amici si intrattengono per tutto il romanzo, mentre dopo settant'anni dai fatti di Jack lo Squartatore a Whitechapel imperversa un nuovo serial killer, non sono distaccati come potrebbe accadere in Dürrenmatt (altro campione del genere), ma rimestano nel torbido e nel morboso, sviscerano religiosità, sessualità, perversioni, sadismo, pedofilia, violenza come ribellione all'ordine costituito, omicidio come massima espressione di libertà, in un sostrato di arte e letteratura che funge quasi da basso continuo, e le lunghe chiacchierate nei pub, nelle villette di periferia, o nelle stanze in affitto con le stufette a penny creano un'atmosfera irripetibile; è la Londra del '56 ma è anche una Londra fuori dal tempo, piovosa come si conviene, bellissima.
March 9, 2017
غالبية الرواية كانت كالتالي : يشربون كأساً و ياكلون ويشربون كوبا من الشاي ويتحدثون مبدين قلقهم على اوستن ويشربون كأسا مرة أخرى ومن ثم ينامون ويشربون وهم نيام ويعربون عن قلقهم على اوستن وهم نيام أيضا ويستيقظون لإكمال مشوارهم في الشرب والأكل والقلق على اوستن
حسنا الرواية ليست سيئة ،لكن احداثها بطيئة الإيقاع لدرجة اعتصار قلبي من الملل ، هذه الرواية الكتاب الثاني الذي اقراه لكولن ولسون، الكتاب الأول هو اصول الدافع الجنسي الذي تحدث عن أنواع الإنحرافات الجنسية وما يسمى بعلم الجريمة الجنسية ، كتاب طقوس في الظلام يبحث في ذات الموضوع وإنما على شكل رواية
تبدأ الرواية عندما يلتقي جيرارد سورم -الشخصية الرئيسية في الرواية - مصادفة بأوستن نن في احدى المعارض في لندن وتتوطد علاقتهم سريعا ، ليكشف سورم أن صديقه الجديد يميل جنسيا إلى الجنس المشابه بالإضافة لكونه سادي ، وبتعرفه على اوستن ينفتح أمام سورم المنعزل اختياريا عن المجتمع قضية جديدة للإهتمام بها ، أصبح شغوفا بقضية قاتل متسلسل يقتل العاهرات في حي من الأحياء التي تقع في أطراف لندن ومع تتابع الأحداث نكتشف أن القاتل المتسلسل ما هو الا الصديق الجديد اوستن نن
في الحقيقة عنصر التشويق غائب تماما في الرواية، منذ البداية توقعت النتيجة ، لذلك جزئية القاتل المتسلسل لم تثر اهتمامي في الرواية، الذي اثار اهتمامي شخصية جيرارد سورم المحرك الرئيسي للأحداث والحوارات وحلقة الوصل بين جميع الشخصيات بالرغم أن جميع الشخصيات تربطهم صلة قرابة ومعرفة ببعضهم قبل دخول سورم إلى حياتهم..
سورم كان قبل تعرفه إلى اوستن يعيش حياة منعزلة اجتماعيا باختياره، بعد ان ترك وظيفته وبدء يبحث عن ذاته في عزلته وبعد مرور خمس سنوات على العزلة اكتشف أن الفجوة بينه وبين ادراكه لذاته تزداد وتعرفه إلى اوستن كسر هذا الجمود واللاجدوى الذي كان غارقا فيه وبدء يتعرف على ذاته في حياة اصدقائه الجدد، و بشعوره انه يفهم شخصيات من حوله ودوافعهم اعتقد انه بدء في ادراك ذاته الضائعة و شعر بوصوله إلى حالة من السلام والقبول لما يشعر به ، إلا انه في الحقيقة كان متوهما، اهتمامه بحياة اصدقاءه كان شكلا من اشكال هروبه من واقعه وانتهت الرواية كما بدأت بذات العبث الذي كان يعيشه ، أما أوستن كانت النهايه معه مفتوحة، لم تثبت الشرطة جرمه ولم يتلقى المساعدة النفسة اللازمة وقد يستمر في القتل بالرغم من رقابة الشرطة
February 29, 2016
I'm torn. On the one hand I liked this book a lot, while on the other hand much of it irritated me horribly.
The story is one of a Jack the Ripper style killer but it's not a thriller as you might suspect. The main character is Gerard Sorme, an unpublished writer with a small personal income that means he doesn't need to work if he stays in cheap rented rooms. Sorme considers himself an intellectual and I think we are supposed to agree with him but I'm afraid I just found him a little pretentious. He struck me as a Holden Caulfield type and I was surprised when, some way into the book, his age was mentioned as mid to late 20's. I had him down as much younger. Maybe this is more a reflection on me than the character, after all he doesn't really exist...
The book is eminently readable but too often for my liking got bogged down in philosophical chit chat which I don't think comes across as terribly natural. Again this may reflect badly more on me and the kind of conversation I have with my friends than on the author and his characters.
I would recommend this book with reservations. The period, setting and subject matter were all of great interest and while none of the characters are very likeable that has never bothered me in a book, my problem was the frequent and frequently long winded philosophical discussions. After reading this short essay I realise that the book was written either side of some non fiction works, one of which, The Outsider seems to have massively influenced the way Ritual in the Dark finally turned out.
Interesting, occasionally gripping and very readable but ultimately slightly disappointing for me.
The story is one of a Jack the Ripper style killer but it's not a thriller as you might suspect. The main character is Gerard Sorme, an unpublished writer with a small personal income that means he doesn't need to work if he stays in cheap rented rooms. Sorme considers himself an intellectual and I think we are supposed to agree with him but I'm afraid I just found him a little pretentious. He struck me as a Holden Caulfield type and I was surprised when, some way into the book, his age was mentioned as mid to late 20's. I had him down as much younger. Maybe this is more a reflection on me than the character, after all he doesn't really exist...
The book is eminently readable but too often for my liking got bogged down in philosophical chit chat which I don't think comes across as terribly natural. Again this may reflect badly more on me and the kind of conversation I have with my friends than on the author and his characters.
I would recommend this book with reservations. The period, setting and subject matter were all of great interest and while none of the characters are very likeable that has never bothered me in a book, my problem was the frequent and frequently long winded philosophical discussions. After reading this short essay I realise that the book was written either side of some non fiction works, one of which, The Outsider seems to have massively influenced the way Ritual in the Dark finally turned out.
Interesting, occasionally gripping and very readable but ultimately slightly disappointing for me.
December 17, 2019
Qualsiasi cosa tu legga di Colin Wilson ti riporta a L'outsider. È come salire di livello, o addentrarsi sui rami diversi, dentro un albero gigantesco. La precisione della consapevolezza diventa la ricerca che non è ricerca di Gerard Sorme.
(Bonus: un sacco di omicidi certo, ma anche tantissime tazze di tè.)
(Bonus: un sacco di omicidi certo, ma anche tantissime tazze di tè.)
January 30, 2025
Siamo a Londra, alla fine della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, un giovane ed intraprendente scrittore, Gerard Sorme, fa un incontro che gli cambierà letteralmente la vita.
Infatti, a una mostra d’arte, conosce Austin Nunne - un rampollo dalla condotta scandalosa, omosessuale, e dagli atteggiamenti da dandy un po� bizzarro - che gli mostra il lato oscuro della società. Parallelamente, all’intensificarsi dell’amicizia tra i due, brutali omicidi nel quartiere di Whitechapel sconvolgono i londinesi, facendoli ripiombare nella spirale di terrore dei tempi di Jack Lo Squartatore.
I �Riti notturni� del titolo sono una chiara allusione alla vibrante vita notturna a cui Austin introduce Gerard. Sono momenti pervasi da dialoghi annebbianti e annebbiati dall’alcool - che contribuiscono all’infondere un’aura mistico-arcana all’esposto - e brulicanti di personaggi peculiari: individui che riscoprono sé stessi, commettono passi falsi, oscillano tra progressi e regressioni nella società.
Si tratta di un giallo metafisico in cui l’aspetto investigativo viene introdotto in maniera progressiva, diventando predominante dalla parte centrale del libro fino all’epilogo. Al contrario, la dimensione ontologica si rivela fin da subito, facendone un romanzo dalla marcata inerenza alla letteratura esistenzialista.
Colin Wilson rielabora quanto evidenziato nel suo saggio � �.
Sorme incarna la figura dell’outsider: un intellettuale che non si sente parte della società e, per questo, prova un forte senso di alienazione; ha continui dubbi sul significato della vita e sulla ricerca di senso. Guidato dalla sua natura istintuale, lo si vede spesso in balia delle proprie pulsioni sessuali. Gerard mette a paragone le sue teorie con la condizione dell’artista, che riversa nelle sue opere la propria visione differente del mondo rendendo manifeste verità profonde e �disturbanti�.
Visto che ŷ non permette i mezzi punti, non mi dispiace assegnare 4 stelle al libro anche se in realtà sarebbero 3,5.
Wilson adotta uno stile decisamente particolareggiato, dirigendo il flusso inesausto delle attente elucubrazioni mentali e supposizioni del protagonista verso un sentire che sì colpisce ma, risulta, talvolta, ridondante sottraendo mordente al libro.
Infatti, a una mostra d’arte, conosce Austin Nunne - un rampollo dalla condotta scandalosa, omosessuale, e dagli atteggiamenti da dandy un po� bizzarro - che gli mostra il lato oscuro della società. Parallelamente, all’intensificarsi dell’amicizia tra i due, brutali omicidi nel quartiere di Whitechapel sconvolgono i londinesi, facendoli ripiombare nella spirale di terrore dei tempi di Jack Lo Squartatore.
I �Riti notturni� del titolo sono una chiara allusione alla vibrante vita notturna a cui Austin introduce Gerard. Sono momenti pervasi da dialoghi annebbianti e annebbiati dall’alcool - che contribuiscono all’infondere un’aura mistico-arcana all’esposto - e brulicanti di personaggi peculiari: individui che riscoprono sé stessi, commettono passi falsi, oscillano tra progressi e regressioni nella società.
Si tratta di un giallo metafisico in cui l’aspetto investigativo viene introdotto in maniera progressiva, diventando predominante dalla parte centrale del libro fino all’epilogo. Al contrario, la dimensione ontologica si rivela fin da subito, facendone un romanzo dalla marcata inerenza alla letteratura esistenzialista.
Colin Wilson rielabora quanto evidenziato nel suo saggio � �.
Sorme incarna la figura dell’outsider: un intellettuale che non si sente parte della società e, per questo, prova un forte senso di alienazione; ha continui dubbi sul significato della vita e sulla ricerca di senso. Guidato dalla sua natura istintuale, lo si vede spesso in balia delle proprie pulsioni sessuali. Gerard mette a paragone le sue teorie con la condizione dell’artista, che riversa nelle sue opere la propria visione differente del mondo rendendo manifeste verità profonde e �disturbanti�.
Visto che ŷ non permette i mezzi punti, non mi dispiace assegnare 4 stelle al libro anche se in realtà sarebbero 3,5.
Wilson adotta uno stile decisamente particolareggiato, dirigendo il flusso inesausto delle attente elucubrazioni mentali e supposizioni del protagonista verso un sentire che sì colpisce ma, risulta, talvolta, ridondante sottraendo mordente al libro.
July 23, 2012
This was Colin Wilson's first novel, written simultaneously with The Outsider. Published in 1960. I've read it about 3 times over the years. It is probably his best or second best novel. Man without a shadow is the other contender.
The trouble was after he wrote Ritual in the Dark, he kept re-writing it with variations.
If you look through his huge list of books, about 150, you will find his obsession with serial killers, unexplained, occult, serial killers, serial killers, Jack the Ripper, and serial killers.
Oh yeah, and a lot of other things, philosophy, psychology, music, etc.
This novel though, is really interesting, it puts forward some interesting ideas about life and the meaning of life and death. Naturally it is rich in philosophy, but it is also a great mystery novel. Well worth reading!
The trouble was after he wrote Ritual in the Dark, he kept re-writing it with variations.
If you look through his huge list of books, about 150, you will find his obsession with serial killers, unexplained, occult, serial killers, serial killers, Jack the Ripper, and serial killers.
Oh yeah, and a lot of other things, philosophy, psychology, music, etc.
This novel though, is really interesting, it puts forward some interesting ideas about life and the meaning of life and death. Naturally it is rich in philosophy, but it is also a great mystery novel. Well worth reading!
February 25, 2019
1 star--I didn't like it. So disappointing--I've loved all the other Valancourt republished books I've read. Super huge trigger warnings for sexism, homophobia, sexual assault, etc.
No mystery, no suspense, lots of shallow and unoriginal philosophical rambling. I found the main character pretentious (which I could forgive) and boring (a harder sell for a novel). The book itself is really dated (though after reading the author's intro, written more recently, I think he's just a bigot).
See here for a better review than mine: /review/show...
No mystery, no suspense, lots of shallow and unoriginal philosophical rambling. I found the main character pretentious (which I could forgive) and boring (a harder sell for a novel). The book itself is really dated (though after reading the author's intro, written more recently, I think he's just a bigot).
See here for a better review than mine: /review/show...
February 28, 2019
I picked Colin Wilson’s serial-killer novel Ritual in the Dark from a reading list compiled by Mark E. Smith, the late creative director of the Fall. Like the Fall, Ritual in the Dark is perversely British. Uncountable cups of tea are brewed and consumed as the book’s protagonist, an aspiring novelist given more to gabfests than to manic fiction typing, chats with sundry friends, acquaintances and enemies of a recent pal who is discussed by his cohorts as a known homosexual sadist who may have terrible behaviors up his sleeve. In fact (well, in fiction actually), the cruel gay man is slaying female prostitutes in grotesque quantities. Like the bloodsucking murdering of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the nefarious action takes place off page, and the book’s most interesting character receives the least page time. Unlike Stoker’s tedious (admit it!) masterpiece, a spattering of selfish sexual encounters and continuous low-grade drunkenness leaven the deep-dish chitchat.
October 22, 2010
I had hoped for an interesting book when I dug Ritual in the Dark out of the back of my bookshelves.
With promises of Jack the Ripper returned, it seemed like a good October book. However, more time was spent worrying about the characters' sexual peccadilloes than in solving any historic or new "Ripper" crimes.
Crime solving became secondary and this was basically a big letdown. It almost seemed as if Wilson had little idea where he was going with this and used the homosexuality angle as a distraction. Bore. Bore. Bore.
The best thing about this book, the 1960 edition, was the cover.
With promises of Jack the Ripper returned, it seemed like a good October book. However, more time was spent worrying about the characters' sexual peccadilloes than in solving any historic or new "Ripper" crimes.
Crime solving became secondary and this was basically a big letdown. It almost seemed as if Wilson had little idea where he was going with this and used the homosexuality angle as a distraction. Bore. Bore. Bore.
The best thing about this book, the 1960 edition, was the cover.
January 28, 2020
Mi trovo a leggere questa ristampa di “Riti Notturni�, un libro di Colin Wilson del 1960. E mi piace parecchio. Un noir che non è un noir, una Londra visibile e percorribile in bicicletta. Litri di tè, whisky e birra e pub a non finire. Un protagonista (Gerard Sorme) a cui ti affezioni subito. E speri che Carbonio Editore faccia uscire presto gli altri libri con lui dentro. Una scrittura scattante, veloce come una macchina da scrivere. Una trama gialla che poi tanto gialla non è. Io ve lo consiglio. Vi divertirete parecchio.
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July 27, 2012كتابٌ يعلوه الغبار أعلى الرّف.. لأنه لم يكن له يدٌ في اختيار مترجمه.
July 18, 2015
من اروع الكتب الي قرأتها اسلوب كتابي هادئ و تسلسل و تدرج في الافكار متميز مع ان النهاية كانت سيئة لانو خلصها بسرعه زي الي عاوز ينجز و خلاص يمكن اخر تلت ورقات الي ذكر فيهم مصير كل شخصية هما الاسوء
March 10, 2025
Shows flashes of promise, and Wilson's prose is of a very high quality, but Gerard Sorme is just dull as dishwater as a protagonist, and so many of the arguments he makes inre: ethics, morality, etc., are along the lines of something you'd expect to hear out of an edgy teenager on Reddit or something more so than someone whose intellect befits the level of pompous, smug self-righteousness with which he comports himself throughout the novel. A long 416 pages (i.e. this isn't one that beckons you to read it when you're doing something else, ala something like the lengthy James Ellroy novels I've been reading of late, which practically demand to be read at all hours of the day) in which the more interesting characters tend to disappear for long stretches of time, leaving most of its sadly pretty limited appeal at having a very palpable, tangible Postwar London atmosphere. Big misfire for an interesting and formidable writer.
November 6, 2024
“Che cos’� la nevrosi, dopotutto? Un accumularsi di desideri insoddisfatti, di qualsiasi tipo. E gli esseri umani agiscono in base ai desideri insoddisfatti� non esiste altro.
Eccetto l’abitudine.
Sì, ma l’abitudine ci fa vivere e basta, il desiderio ci fa progredire. E tutti vogliamo continuare a progredire, così coltiviamo tutti i nostri desideri.�
(Citazione)
Eccetto l’abitudine.
Sì, ma l’abitudine ci fa vivere e basta, il desiderio ci fa progredire. E tutti vogliamo continuare a progredire, così coltiviamo tutti i nostri desideri.�
(Citazione)
December 11, 2022
I have never written a review with spoilers before. But to tell you why I hate this book, I have to do it.
I don't know why I keep reading books by Colin Wilson. He can write. However, he always writes about the same things. He's philosophical, but not very profound, and keeps talking in circles. He's convinced humanity is on the brink of an evolutionary leap, but can't define what that means or what it looks like.
My edition of the book has 541 pages. When I got to page 400, I debated giving up. But I soldiered on. I don't know why.
Plot summary:
Gerard meets Austin. They become friends. But it turns out Austin is probably a serial killer who has murdered a bunch of prostitutes. Gerard wonders: what does this mean? You know, philosophically. He himself is struggling with what it means to be free and he dislikes the way society boxes him in. Maybe he and this (probable, maybe) serial killer have a lot in common. Let's think about it and talk about it with friends. A lot. For like, 500 pages.
At one point Gerard compares Austin to Christ. Because I guess Jesus and a serial killer have a lot in common, if you think about it.
Eventually Austin admits to Gerard that he's a serial killer and they talk about it and the philosophy of killing people. It is a surprisingly dull conversation.
Near the end of the book, a psychiatrist literally takes Gerard to the morgue to look at the corpse of one of Austin's victims. Maybe this will get Gerard to see sense. However, the corpse is too mutilated, so Gerard doesn't really care. It hardly seems human.
Fortunately, it turns out there's a second corpse just lying out from some unrelated crime. When Gerard sees that one, it finally dawns on him that maybe killing people is not cool. This is mostly because this second corpse is a pretty lady he could have been sexually interested in if she were still alive. This makes him finally understand that killing is (probably) wrong.
Gerard's other friend Oliver is kind of wanting the attentions of a 12 year old girl, Christine. But maybe it's not sexual? He's not sure if it is. Hard to say. However, he does talk about waiting until she's 16 so he can marry her. Maybe not, though, because marriage is for squares. Oliver does get upset when it's revealed that Christine had sex with her cousin. Because now we know Christine isn't so innocent. Oliver flees his apartment in a huff because of it, and no one knows where he went. (That's how this storyline ends.)
Gerard thinks lusting for a 12 year old is totally fine, and has no problem with it. Because I guess Oliver is rebelling against society or something. I mean, why is everyone so square and thinking murder and pedophilia are wrong? What is the deal with that? Why can't people just be free to kill and have sex with children? Come on, society! Stop oppressing us!
During the book, Gerard meets Caroline (almost 18, actress) and her aunt, Gertrude (older than Gerard by a decade). Gerard sleeps with Caroline. Later, he seduces Gertrude. After sex, he casually tells Gertrude he was banging Caroline too, but promises he'll end it. Gertrude seems to think that's totally cool. She does not kick up a fuss at all. Maybe she's a little jealous.
The book ends with Gerard thinking murder is wrong, but he can't betray his friend Austin. Gertrude, is going to tell Austin's parents what is happening. Maybe they can put a stop to all of this killing stuff. Or get Austin into a mental hospital or something. She leaves. Gerard gets a phone call from Caroline. When can she see him again? Thursday? She can stay all night. Cool, cool, says Gerard.
He hangs up and realizes he's probably going to keep having sex with Gertrude and her niece Caroline.
The book ends with these lines:
"In his room, he drank the tea, standing by the mantlepiece. A curious elation stirred in him, an acceptance of complexity. He stared at his face in the mirror, saying aloud, what do you do now, you stupid old bastard? He grinned at himself, and twitched his nose like a rabbit."
That's it. That's the end.
The book takes place in 1958 and was originally published in 1960. Maybe this is a 1960s thing, where this sort of stupidity makes sense. Everyone was stoned and on acid. Maybe this passed for super insightful commentary on "the system" and how we all have to fight it, man. I honestly don't know. The book is so stupidly philosophical and impractical and dumb.
2 stars because I did manage to read the entire thing. Utterly baffling and stupid.
I don't know why I keep reading books by Colin Wilson. He can write. However, he always writes about the same things. He's philosophical, but not very profound, and keeps talking in circles. He's convinced humanity is on the brink of an evolutionary leap, but can't define what that means or what it looks like.
My edition of the book has 541 pages. When I got to page 400, I debated giving up. But I soldiered on. I don't know why.
Plot summary:
Gerard meets Austin. They become friends. But it turns out Austin is probably a serial killer who has murdered a bunch of prostitutes. Gerard wonders: what does this mean? You know, philosophically. He himself is struggling with what it means to be free and he dislikes the way society boxes him in. Maybe he and this (probable, maybe) serial killer have a lot in common. Let's think about it and talk about it with friends. A lot. For like, 500 pages.
At one point Gerard compares Austin to Christ. Because I guess Jesus and a serial killer have a lot in common, if you think about it.
Eventually Austin admits to Gerard that he's a serial killer and they talk about it and the philosophy of killing people. It is a surprisingly dull conversation.
Near the end of the book, a psychiatrist literally takes Gerard to the morgue to look at the corpse of one of Austin's victims. Maybe this will get Gerard to see sense. However, the corpse is too mutilated, so Gerard doesn't really care. It hardly seems human.
Fortunately, it turns out there's a second corpse just lying out from some unrelated crime. When Gerard sees that one, it finally dawns on him that maybe killing people is not cool. This is mostly because this second corpse is a pretty lady he could have been sexually interested in if she were still alive. This makes him finally understand that killing is (probably) wrong.
Gerard's other friend Oliver is kind of wanting the attentions of a 12 year old girl, Christine. But maybe it's not sexual? He's not sure if it is. Hard to say. However, he does talk about waiting until she's 16 so he can marry her. Maybe not, though, because marriage is for squares. Oliver does get upset when it's revealed that Christine had sex with her cousin. Because now we know Christine isn't so innocent. Oliver flees his apartment in a huff because of it, and no one knows where he went. (That's how this storyline ends.)
Gerard thinks lusting for a 12 year old is totally fine, and has no problem with it. Because I guess Oliver is rebelling against society or something. I mean, why is everyone so square and thinking murder and pedophilia are wrong? What is the deal with that? Why can't people just be free to kill and have sex with children? Come on, society! Stop oppressing us!
During the book, Gerard meets Caroline (almost 18, actress) and her aunt, Gertrude (older than Gerard by a decade). Gerard sleeps with Caroline. Later, he seduces Gertrude. After sex, he casually tells Gertrude he was banging Caroline too, but promises he'll end it. Gertrude seems to think that's totally cool. She does not kick up a fuss at all. Maybe she's a little jealous.
The book ends with Gerard thinking murder is wrong, but he can't betray his friend Austin. Gertrude, is going to tell Austin's parents what is happening. Maybe they can put a stop to all of this killing stuff. Or get Austin into a mental hospital or something. She leaves. Gerard gets a phone call from Caroline. When can she see him again? Thursday? She can stay all night. Cool, cool, says Gerard.
He hangs up and realizes he's probably going to keep having sex with Gertrude and her niece Caroline.
The book ends with these lines:
"In his room, he drank the tea, standing by the mantlepiece. A curious elation stirred in him, an acceptance of complexity. He stared at his face in the mirror, saying aloud, what do you do now, you stupid old bastard? He grinned at himself, and twitched his nose like a rabbit."
That's it. That's the end.
The book takes place in 1958 and was originally published in 1960. Maybe this is a 1960s thing, where this sort of stupidity makes sense. Everyone was stoned and on acid. Maybe this passed for super insightful commentary on "the system" and how we all have to fight it, man. I honestly don't know. The book is so stupidly philosophical and impractical and dumb.
2 stars because I did manage to read the entire thing. Utterly baffling and stupid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2013
Good book. Not entirely sure which direction I should take when I review it, however, the only thing that came to mind was a list of pros and cons, so...
Pros:
1. Characters were intriguingly complex and there were plenty of subplots to keep things interesting.
2. The book delves into the world of philosophical existentialism for extended periods of time (may be pro or con).
3. The ending was very satisfying. I did not enjoy several extended stretches of this book, however, the ending gave me a feeling triumph as well as leaving just enough questions unanswered.
Cons:
1. The main character, Sorme, has a very snobbish appearance. He clearly has no real job, however, throughout the book he treats everyone as intellectual inferiors as well as philosophizing about their every actions.
2. Their is lots of tea drinking (see other reviews).
3. This book read like a philosophy textbook at times, which was very frustrating.
Overall, it was a solid book but don't expect anything near a Jack the Ripper slasher novel.
Pros:
1. Characters were intriguingly complex and there were plenty of subplots to keep things interesting.
2. The book delves into the world of philosophical existentialism for extended periods of time (may be pro or con).
3. The ending was very satisfying. I did not enjoy several extended stretches of this book, however, the ending gave me a feeling triumph as well as leaving just enough questions unanswered.
Cons:
1. The main character, Sorme, has a very snobbish appearance. He clearly has no real job, however, throughout the book he treats everyone as intellectual inferiors as well as philosophizing about their every actions.
2. Their is lots of tea drinking (see other reviews).
3. This book read like a philosophy textbook at times, which was very frustrating.
Overall, it was a solid book but don't expect anything near a Jack the Ripper slasher novel.
May 7, 2016
Did I expect more? Did I expect less? I can't remember but I can surely tell that eventually it's a satisfying reading; probably not an exciting 4 star but more a half-original and fun 3.5 (when ŷ will alow us to use half star? I don't know).
I forgot when was the last time I read a book where all the sentences and passages are extremely brief, and most of the narrative is told through dialogues. The style reminds me of Richard Matheson. It's not a negeative point, on the contrary. You can easily picture the atmosphere, action and story in your mind just by following the dialogues, arguments and discourses between the various protagonists.
Although I'm always attracted by abrupt endings, this time it didn't give anything away. The main flaw stays in the incapability of the author to fully give us a reasonable explanation of the main action which the story is based. Sorry Colin...I didn't buy it.
I forgot when was the last time I read a book where all the sentences and passages are extremely brief, and most of the narrative is told through dialogues. The style reminds me of Richard Matheson. It's not a negeative point, on the contrary. You can easily picture the atmosphere, action and story in your mind just by following the dialogues, arguments and discourses between the various protagonists.
Although I'm always attracted by abrupt endings, this time it didn't give anything away. The main flaw stays in the incapability of the author to fully give us a reasonable explanation of the main action which the story is based. Sorry Colin...I didn't buy it.
June 24, 2013
Decent psychological thriller. Takes an interesting view on something that really makes one think about humanity in general. It makes sense, perhaps not to the extreme of this book but it is relatable to many life situations. I enjoyed it. I won't lie I wanted to read it because it was listed on a banned book list, which always tends to intrigue me.
January 8, 2015
It’s a very curious novel. Colin Wilson speculates about what drives a criminal outsider and a philosophical one. As a phenomenologist, he describes the flow of moods, states, thoughts, and actions of the protagonist and his interaction with the grim reality of existential issues.
November 1, 2017
مشكلة هذه الرواية السرد فيها كثير ، ينقطع نفسك وينقبض قلبك ولاتعلم ماذا يريد الكاتب 😪
Read
September 7, 2020Capisco di essere figlio del presente quando leggo libri come questo, e anche se apprezzo i suoi motivi tematici lo faccio con uno spirito diverso da quello per cui è stato scritto.
C'è una particolare figura mitologica nella narrativa inglese del '900 che mi è simpatica un po' in ogni forma: l'amico ricco, sbandato, con qualche segreto inconfessabile che va dalla malattia mentale al crimine (compresi, per la logica dell'epoca, omosessualità e dipendenze varie) e incredibilmente carismatico. È il Sebastian di Ritorno a Brideshead, il Rospo del Vento tra i Salici, ma anche Withnail di Withnail & I, ed è l'ultimo precipitato di un lontanissimo byronismo. Austin Nunne di Riti notturni appartiene a questa categoria, ed è la personificazione del daimon nel viaggio iniziatico-psicologico del protagonista Gerard Sorme. Mi sono goduto la lettura ogni volta che Nunne compariva sulla pagina, o che si parlava di lui. In effetti si parla molto di lui più di quanto lo si veda in carne e ossa, come se il suo unico compito fosse ispirare o terrorizzare, e poi fuggire, un po' come accade per il Dracula di Stoker (parallelo, quello fra lui e un vampiro o un licantropo, che il testo fa, anche se indirettamente).
Al contrario ho provato poca simpatia per il personaggio principale. Sorme passa il tempo a intellettualizzare tutto quello che fa, e oblitera i suoi amici e amanti non appena riesce a capire il significato del loro ruolo nella propria vita. Non ha a che fare con persone, ma solo con idee teoriche di persone. Si tiene alla lontana dalle emozioni forti e non ha un'etica, ma solo una relativa pigrizia esistenziale che gli impedisce di compiere il peggio, e che lo tiene sempre a lato dei grandi eventi. L'unica cosa che riesce a fare è scrivere. Scrivere come mezzo-crimine ma anche come mezza-vita.
A diversi lettori questo romanzo è sembrato molto misogino, ed è vero, ma riesco a mettere in pace la mia coscienza di lettore concludendo che è Gerard Sorme a essere misogino, e che non lo è per un disprezzo particolare verso le donne in carne e ossa ma verso ciò che le donne rappresentano: attaccamento alla vita corporea e affettiva prima di ogni idea. Per lo stesso motivo, e non per le sue colpe, Sorme arriva ad abbandonare Nunne quando ha digerito (cioè intellettualizzato) il fascino che questo emana.
(la conclusione contiene SPOILER)
Per chi fosse interessato, .
son lux - flickers
C'è una particolare figura mitologica nella narrativa inglese del '900 che mi è simpatica un po' in ogni forma: l'amico ricco, sbandato, con qualche segreto inconfessabile che va dalla malattia mentale al crimine (compresi, per la logica dell'epoca, omosessualità e dipendenze varie) e incredibilmente carismatico. È il Sebastian di Ritorno a Brideshead, il Rospo del Vento tra i Salici, ma anche Withnail di Withnail & I, ed è l'ultimo precipitato di un lontanissimo byronismo. Austin Nunne di Riti notturni appartiene a questa categoria, ed è la personificazione del daimon nel viaggio iniziatico-psicologico del protagonista Gerard Sorme. Mi sono goduto la lettura ogni volta che Nunne compariva sulla pagina, o che si parlava di lui. In effetti si parla molto di lui più di quanto lo si veda in carne e ossa, come se il suo unico compito fosse ispirare o terrorizzare, e poi fuggire, un po' come accade per il Dracula di Stoker (parallelo, quello fra lui e un vampiro o un licantropo, che il testo fa, anche se indirettamente).
Al contrario ho provato poca simpatia per il personaggio principale. Sorme passa il tempo a intellettualizzare tutto quello che fa, e oblitera i suoi amici e amanti non appena riesce a capire il significato del loro ruolo nella propria vita. Non ha a che fare con persone, ma solo con idee teoriche di persone. Si tiene alla lontana dalle emozioni forti e non ha un'etica, ma solo una relativa pigrizia esistenziale che gli impedisce di compiere il peggio, e che lo tiene sempre a lato dei grandi eventi. L'unica cosa che riesce a fare è scrivere. Scrivere come mezzo-crimine ma anche come mezza-vita.
A diversi lettori questo romanzo è sembrato molto misogino, ed è vero, ma riesco a mettere in pace la mia coscienza di lettore concludendo che è Gerard Sorme a essere misogino, e che non lo è per un disprezzo particolare verso le donne in carne e ossa ma verso ciò che le donne rappresentano: attaccamento alla vita corporea e affettiva prima di ogni idea. Per lo stesso motivo, e non per le sue colpe, Sorme arriva ad abbandonare Nunne quando ha digerito (cioè intellettualizzato) il fascino che questo emana.
(la conclusione contiene SPOILER)
Per chi fosse interessato, .
son lux - flickers
September 7, 2023
I was sucked in at the first few pages. Austin Nunne’s personality and behavior was so revolting and fascinating to me. However, this book went downhill fast. The writing is frankly shoddy and you can tell it underwent a lot of revisions and style changes over a long period of time.
I also couldn’t stand the main character who really has no redeeming personality traits. I usually enjoy unlikeable characters, but it seems like the author wanted us to identify with him? He’s sexist and seems to lack empathy, yet he believes that he is morally virtuous. Don’t get me started on his “love� affair with an underage girl and then that same girl’s aunt. The much older aunt accepts this without question because suddenly she falls in love with the 27-year old after she loses her virginity to him (after much coercion and borderline rape on his side).
The book also had way too many philosophical musings and unnecessary introspection. Every action the character takes is included in this story. From the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep. We hear about every damn cup of tea he drinks, but at least we never read about his trips to the bathroom (probably numerous). And all of this at the expense of real momentum and progression.
Well despite my hatred for this book, I read this pretty quickly. I guess I love reading shitty books.
I also couldn’t stand the main character who really has no redeeming personality traits. I usually enjoy unlikeable characters, but it seems like the author wanted us to identify with him? He’s sexist and seems to lack empathy, yet he believes that he is morally virtuous. Don’t get me started on his “love� affair with an underage girl and then that same girl’s aunt. The much older aunt accepts this without question because suddenly she falls in love with the 27-year old after she loses her virginity to him (after much coercion and borderline rape on his side).
The book also had way too many philosophical musings and unnecessary introspection. Every action the character takes is included in this story. From the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep. We hear about every damn cup of tea he drinks, but at least we never read about his trips to the bathroom (probably numerous). And all of this at the expense of real momentum and progression.
Well despite my hatred for this book, I read this pretty quickly. I guess I love reading shitty books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2021
I enjoyed this very much. Before opening I knew nothing about it, and expected a crime thriller. But it's much more than that, and much less in some ways. But the novel has a wonderful flow and style, the characters are lively and interesting, and the background circumstances -- the murders -- are an excellent breeding ground for this week or so of intrigue in the life of Gerard Sorme as he learns about all of these new people and himself. A work on insanity, and fanaticism, and the complexities of life.
One of my favourite chapters was near the end with the old man who lives above him. He's trying to get money for gin from Sorme. The old man says he can open Sorme's third eye for a little money, and when that fails he regales him with a story about how one of his old friends was actually Jack the Ripper. It's here that Sorme, who can often be dismissive of people as Nunne had pointed out to him earlier, finds that this old man he thought a nuisance had an entirely different aspect to him. The chapter has some interesting occult themes to it. I wish the old man had returned with greater prominence in the book.
One of my favourite chapters was near the end with the old man who lives above him. He's trying to get money for gin from Sorme. The old man says he can open Sorme's third eye for a little money, and when that fails he regales him with a story about how one of his old friends was actually Jack the Ripper. It's here that Sorme, who can often be dismissive of people as Nunne had pointed out to him earlier, finds that this old man he thought a nuisance had an entirely different aspect to him. The chapter has some interesting occult themes to it. I wish the old man had returned with greater prominence in the book.
January 4, 2025
[Pan Books Ltd.] (1962). SB. 415 Pages. Purchased from ‘johnshire�.
The ‘Gerard Sorme trilogy� is comprised of:
“Ritual in the Dark� (1960)
“Man Without a Shadow� (1963)
“The God of the Labyrinth� (1970)
This - Wilson’s debut novel - whilst variously faulty, is engaging in certain respects. It’s loaded with elements which he was to tiresomely rehash over the coming decades.
The resonant ‘lead� is a vile, unscrupulous, smug, bone-idle, ever-musing drifter�
Austin Nunne - the foremost monster in a gallery of s* bags, perverts and crackpots - is an intriguing but underdeveloped character. That lack of depth is particularly frustrating in the context of a bloated text: 400+ pages of tiny type. ~200 would have sufficed.
The ‘Gerard Sorme trilogy� is comprised of:
“Ritual in the Dark� (1960)
“Man Without a Shadow� (1963)
“The God of the Labyrinth� (1970)
This - Wilson’s debut novel - whilst variously faulty, is engaging in certain respects. It’s loaded with elements which he was to tiresomely rehash over the coming decades.
The resonant ‘lead� is a vile, unscrupulous, smug, bone-idle, ever-musing drifter�
Austin Nunne - the foremost monster in a gallery of s* bags, perverts and crackpots - is an intriguing but underdeveloped character. That lack of depth is particularly frustrating in the context of a bloated text: 400+ pages of tiny type. ~200 would have sufficed.
May 13, 2021
An intricately woven web of thoughts. Love the realism of finding epiphanies. I almost feel like I can be in his shoes and understand where he’s coming from. The transitions from his usual everyday thoughts to his brilliant awe striking ones is absolutely noteworthy. I almost wished I could change the narrative. The beautiful stream of thoughts were encapsulated perfectly. I would read this again. There is much I feel I may have missed. I wonder if this is what it’s like to truly understand someone...
March 28, 2018
أكملتها لأنها مليئة بالحوارات وأنا أعشق الحوارات ولكن لا تمضي صفحة أو صفحتين و إلا تكون شخصيات الرواية تشرب و تسكر ,نعم ثقافتهم تختلف جذريا عن ثقافتنا ولكنها مبالغة كبيرة في التكلم عن الشرب ..أما مضمون الرواية فلهذه اللحظة لم اهتدي لما أراد أن يوصله لنا الكاتب أأن نتعايش كون الشخص شاذ أم نتعايش مع كونه قاتل أم نسبر أغوار النفس البشرية ونتكلم بطريقة فلسفية و نحلل القضيتين أم ماذا تريد ؟؟؟
لم أخرج بشيء منها
لم أخرج بشيء منها
May 31, 2023
I have always found Colin Wilson's novels entertaining. This modern day Jack the Ripper story is populated by his usual cast of obsessional, eccentric, and deviant characters, leading their disfunctional lives in a seedy and uninviting landscape.
Wilson's fiction is far superior to his true crime writing. In that he tends to repeat other writers mistakes rather than doing his own research.
Wilson's fiction is far superior to his true crime writing. In that he tends to repeat other writers mistakes rather than doing his own research.
January 6, 2024
Subdued five stars. The creep factor was enormous. There is a murderer in Whitechapel that mirrors Jack the Ripper. Philosophical and many characters on the very edge of impropriety yet they are all so very conflicted and complex. Is Sorme’s friend a butcher of humans.
October 6, 2014
On one hand, the book is easy to read. Words follow each other, and before you know where you are, many of them have been read. Yet for a 400 page book, the plot is as thin as yellowing wallpaper, the first half almost a barren waste of plodding exposition. Sorme visits Austin, he visits the aunt, he goes here, he goes there. Various drinks are consumed, various things of not much import are said. The murders are mentioned in passing.
Then, at almost exactly the halfway point, suddenly the book is about the murders and virtually nothing else. It's way too schizophrenic, and I strongly feel that at least one hundred pages of the boring first half could and should have been dispensed with. The narrative is not tight, it's not particularly weighty, the prose is very workmanlike. Then Wilson seems to overcompensate by ramping up his intellectual discourse in the second half. The result is a muddle and frankly, neither the story nor the existentialism is of particular interest.
This is perhaps a poster child of first novel syndrome, where a young man with grand ideas puts them down on paper, but lacks the experience, the finesse, the know how, to do so in a completely competent and satisfying way. Indeed, Ritual in the Dark was labored upon for many years. It's a shame that the result is so underwhelming.
Then, at almost exactly the halfway point, suddenly the book is about the murders and virtually nothing else. It's way too schizophrenic, and I strongly feel that at least one hundred pages of the boring first half could and should have been dispensed with. The narrative is not tight, it's not particularly weighty, the prose is very workmanlike. Then Wilson seems to overcompensate by ramping up his intellectual discourse in the second half. The result is a muddle and frankly, neither the story nor the existentialism is of particular interest.
This is perhaps a poster child of first novel syndrome, where a young man with grand ideas puts them down on paper, but lacks the experience, the finesse, the know how, to do so in a completely competent and satisfying way. Indeed, Ritual in the Dark was labored upon for many years. It's a shame that the result is so underwhelming.
February 2, 2016
This was almost exactly like reading his other mystery novel, NECESSARY DOUBT -- it was well-written and quite readable, but left very little impression on me, somehow. It was all about the philosophy of murder and tackles the question of whether a person is only half-alive until he commits a crime, or because he commits it, or what. This one is full of very helpful priests who apparently have credibility with the protagonist because they've been published. So does this stranger who sweeps him off his feet and buys him dinner in nice restaurants and that, too, is because he's published. The overall impression I got is of a late-night bull session by lit students who are trying to understand Saucy Jack through entirely the wrong lens.
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