Patrick Grainville's 'Le baiser de la pieuvre' revisits Hokusai's erotic print
Patrick Grainville's latest novel, 'Le baiser de la pieuvre' (The Octopus's Kiss), published by Éditions du Seuil, reimagines Hokusai's famous print 'The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife.' The story follows a monstrous love affair between a young widow and a sea creature, aiming for supernatural voluptuousness. Grainville's prose is characterized by excess, profusion, and violent contrasts, with volcanic landscapes and saturated colors. The novel's style features successive boilings, euphoric pressure, and a vocabulary that gushes and bursts. Critic Vincent Roy highlights the author's love for storms, orgies, monsters, and ecstasy, noting that at a time when stylists are faint, Grainville plays on contrasts and color saturation.
Key facts
- Patrick Grainville wrote 'Le baiser de la pieuvre'.
- Published by Éditions du Seuil.
- The novel revisits Hokusai's print 'The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife'.
- Story involves a young widow and a sea creature.
- Grainville's style is described as excessive and profuse.
- The prose features volcanic imagery and saturated colors.
- Critic Vincent Roy reviewed the novel.
- The novel aims for supernatural voluptuousness.
Entities
Artists
- Patrick Grainville
- Hokusai
- Vincent Roy
Institutions
- Éditions du Seuil
Sources
- artpress —