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Petit Mal
"If rape or arson, poison or the knife
Has wove no pleasing patterns in the stuff
Of this drab canvas we accept as life -
It is because we are not bold enough!"
Charles Baudelaire
If you are familiar with the explosive End Times Trilogy (Vernon God Little, Ludmila's Broken English, Lights Out in Wonderland) by DBC Pierre, you will be well-acclimatised to the heady heights traversed in this collection. Drawing on memoir and a life lived in pursuit of sensation, but always ignited by the flame of fiction, Petit Mallegories take us further into the imagination of one of the most radically original prose stylists of the past decade.
Accompanied by dozens of illustrations and photographic 'evidence', the stories here inhabit worlds defined by appetite, excess and transcendence. Whether through food, drink, sex, drugs, or a fantastic cocktail of all four, the impulse in this book is towards epiphany. And the inevitable hangover that follows. But even that (or those) in the world of DBC Pierre can be nourishing.
Has wove no pleasing patterns in the stuff
Of this drab canvas we accept as life -
It is because we are not bold enough!"
Charles Baudelaire
If you are familiar with the explosive End Times Trilogy (Vernon God Little, Ludmila's Broken English, Lights Out in Wonderland) by DBC Pierre, you will be well-acclimatised to the heady heights traversed in this collection. Drawing on memoir and a life lived in pursuit of sensation, but always ignited by the flame of fiction, Petit Mallegories take us further into the imagination of one of the most radically original prose stylists of the past decade.
Accompanied by dozens of illustrations and photographic 'evidence', the stories here inhabit worlds defined by appetite, excess and transcendence. Whether through food, drink, sex, drugs, or a fantastic cocktail of all four, the impulse in this book is towards epiphany. And the inevitable hangover that follows. But even that (or those) in the world of DBC Pierre can be nourishing.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2013
2 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
D.B.C. Pierre
39 books382 followersDBC Pierre is an Australian-born writer currently residing in Ireland. Born Peter Warren Finlay, the "DBC" stands for "Dirty But Clean". "Pierre" was a nickname bestowed on him by childhood friends after a cartoon character of that name.
Pierre was awarded the Booker Prize for fiction on 14 October 2003 for his novel Vernon God Little.
He is the third Australian to be so honoured, although he has told the British press that he prefers to consider himself a Mexican.
Pierre was awarded the Booker Prize for fiction on 14 October 2003 for his novel Vernon God Little.
He is the third Australian to be so honoured, although he has told the British press that he prefers to consider himself a Mexican.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 23, 2013
No, I'm sorry, I really didn't get this. And I think that's a shame, because I absolutely adored DBC Pierre's Lights Out in Wonderland, and I really hoped this collection of short stories and other writings, punctuated by photography, cartoons and other assorted art, would be more of the same. Unfortunately, it feels like a folder of unfinished drafts of random stuff has been published in the absence of proper material. The dazzling wordplay that characterises Pierre's novels is sadly absent here and some of it, I'm afraid to say, has more than a touch of the Nathan Barleys about it. I quite liked the Virgin Mary narrative, but that was about it.
I should stress that this review is of the edition I read - the digital version, on my now-obsolete Kindle, which doesn't have a colour screen and isn't great for looking at photographs or illustrations. I'm sure the physical edition of the book, which is a full-colour, limited edition, coffee-table-sized hardback, is more impressive to behold. Taken on its own merits, though, the writing within is a big disappointment.
I should stress that this review is of the edition I read - the digital version, on my now-obsolete Kindle, which doesn't have a colour screen and isn't great for looking at photographs or illustrations. I'm sure the physical edition of the book, which is a full-colour, limited edition, coffee-table-sized hardback, is more impressive to behold. Taken on its own merits, though, the writing within is a big disappointment.
September 3, 2020
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Like everything DBC Pierre puts on paper, this will not be everyone’s cup of tea. This is a little collection of chaos, detailing a life lived in excess. A melding of memoir and fiction (although it is often hard to distinguish one from the other!) ‘Petit Mal’ is a search for transcendental meaning through the excessive, abusive consumption of food, drink, sex and drugs amongst other things. It is almost an assault on all 5 senses. Nevertheless, Pierre proves himself to be one of the most stylistically radical writers of our time.
Nadishka, - The Book Grocer
Like everything DBC Pierre puts on paper, this will not be everyone’s cup of tea. This is a little collection of chaos, detailing a life lived in excess. A melding of memoir and fiction (although it is often hard to distinguish one from the other!) ‘Petit Mal’ is a search for transcendental meaning through the excessive, abusive consumption of food, drink, sex and drugs amongst other things. It is almost an assault on all 5 senses. Nevertheless, Pierre proves himself to be one of the most stylistically radical writers of our time.
Nadishka, - The Book Grocer
August 16, 2021
The best book you'll ever leave in your bathroom. Bizarre... outlandish ... absurd... DBC Pierre.
February 14, 2016
This book is a strange mix of humour and allegories about society and life. If you are one for books that make you think hard to understand what the hell is going on, this is for you. Some of the (what? Short stories? Vignettes? Anecdotes?) I understood and others I didn't, but I'm uncertain as to whether this enhanced or took away from the reading experience. I had an odd feeling that although I couldn't explain what some of the stories were trying to say, I still, deep down, understood them. The writing was oddly beautiful and, if nothing else, the humour was nice.
September 18, 2014
A collection of writing that defies categorisation. An eclectic chaos of ideas. Some gear humour - the Mary sequence for example. Comes with some photos that sometimes make sense and cartoons which invariable don't. Inventive stuff.
April 11, 2016
the best book I have ever picked up! it's not for everyone, though, I can see many people not understanding. I feel a connection with Pierre and his writing style and the way he uses words to form clean, crisp images. cannot praise this book enough!! five stars
July 7, 2014
Liked some of these and not others. I enjoy Pierre's writing and he is always worth a read.
Read
September 27, 2014Disjointed and disappointing collection.
June 14, 2014
Wasn't what I expected, hopefully one day I'll enjoy it
June 1, 2015
Hodge podge of short fiction, essays, nonfiction, pictures, and cartoons. His more recent novels are way better. This collection was okay at best.
November 12, 2016
Wow! This was a really intriguing book of motifs and little vignettes. My head is reeling just thinking about it. Will give it a couple days and then post a proper review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews