August 26, 2005
review of The Fan-Maker's Inquisition
Before I crawl into my cave to read, read, read for my comps, I wanted to mention one of the two (non-academic) books I managed to finish this summer.
The book in question is The Fan-Maker's Inquistion, published in 2000. I saw it in a used book store and, recognizing the name of the author, eagerly bought it. A couple years ago, in a non-fiction class taught by Howard Norman at the University of Maryland, I read one of her essays from The Monstrous and the Marvelous and found it quite marvelous (and pleasingly monstrous).
The Fan-Maker's Inquisition could be considered more monstrous than marvelous (though it is still marvelous), since the two subjects, the Marquis de Sade and the Great Terror of the French Revolution, were monstrous in their own ways.
For some, the book may be faulted by not making de Sade monstrous enough. He's a very sympathetic figure here, a victim of repression and political extremism, as well as a wonderful storyteller. Though his addiction to cruelty to women is mentioned, it is not really described. Not that I'm suggesting that he be more demonized than he already has been; au contraire--I think he could have had a little more edge.
The other two main characters--Garielle, the fan-maker, and Olympe de Gouges (a historical figure fictionalized), who are lovers--are very well drawn. Also, the proto-blogger, the revolutionary pamphleteer Restif de la Bretonne (also a historical figure), is an interesting and surprising anti-hero.
The depiction of sexual politics during the revolution is fascinating, as was the book-within-the-book about the genocidal campaign of the fanatical Bishop Landa against the Maya of the Yucatan (also a historical figure, and a historical reality of the 16th century, in which Maya culture was almost completely wiped out --were particularly targeted).
The Fan-maker's Inquisition is beautifully written, and structured around different texts (the book-within-the-book, and letters), though, I must mention, near the end the novel there is an inexplicable section where de Sade announces that his paper and pens have been taken from him, and then goes on for pages with his written narrative.
The book also includes an interview with Ducornet and, which I found kind of strange, discussion questions, as if a book that portrays lesbians and the Marquis de Sade sympathetically was meant to be used in some college course. As if! (in the U.S. anyway).
For an audio interview about the book with Ducornet, try this link:
http://www.lannan.org/lf/bios/detail/rikki-ducornet/