Maldoror and the Light at the End of the Tunnel

"God grant that the reader, emboldened and having become at present as fierce as what he is reading, find, without loss of bearings, his way, his wild and treacherous passage through the desolate swamps of these sombre, poison-soaked pages; for, unless he should bring to his reading a rigorous logic and a sustained mental effort at least as strong as his distrust, the lethal fumes of this book shall dissolve his soul as water does sugar." - The first sentence, a warning of sorts, of Les Chants de Maldoror. You know you're in for a doozy when the author needs to offer up such a solemn disclaimer!

I'm not really sure why I've been compelled for so long to want to read this work. I'm looking forward to delving into a work that I'll have to wrap my mind around, something chewy to stimulate my sleepy brain. Maldoror, the protagonist, is a misanthropic figure of absolute evil who is opposed to God and has renounced all morality and decency. I get the sense it could be compared to the works of Georges Bataille. I've always found the literature exploring the dark recesses of humanity that influenced the Surrealist movement to be intriguing. Creepy but intriguing. This is a spooky journey I will embark on as soon as I can get my hands on this book. Apparently a daunting task since The Strand, even with its 18 miles of books, doesn't have it.

But on a contrary and much lighter note, I think all my (good) luck has returned and things are really starting to pick up for me! I've made my first official NYC friend, I've been invited to attend an exhibit opening at Google-East, and I'll be volunteering at Fashion Week this September. It feels so good to feel like I'm headed in the right direction. Once again, I can't say enough how grateful I am to have the life I do, filled with friends, family, love, hope and endless opportunity. I guess with an outlook like mine I'd say I'm the "Anti-Maldoror".