Wednesday, September 8, 2021

The Killer and the Slain by Hugh Walpole


The Killer and the Slain: 
A Strange Story 
Hugh Walpole 
1942 
5/5 stars

The less known about the plot going in, the better, in my opinion.  Most of the blurbs give details, which may or may not spoil the reader's enjoyment.  I would have preferred to have known less, though, so I'm only going to say that this follows mild-mannered, often bullied, John Talbot as he becomes a different man after an act of violence.  

The story is one of Good and Evil, of the crumbling of the barriers that make a human act "decently", of effects that can snowball from the actions of one person.  Walpole's posthumously published macabre psychological study is emotional, suspenseful, believable, and sometimes frightening.  It's not a story one "enjoys"; it caused me tension, discomfort, and unease -- as was intended.  It is excellently written overall, with a most gratifying ending.  As an experience of the depths of a lost mind, the Killer and the Slain was exceptional.

I will note that those not believing in an Agent of Evil and a Deity of Good, may not find it as moving or satisfying as I did.  

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