Within Paravent Walls

by Laura Gentile

Sprung from vicious and dysfunctional generations, the narcissistic muse, Estefania Viennese, and the self-negating artist, Severin von Zweighaupt, succumb to the unwholesome love they harbour for each other.

During Estefania's pregnancy with triplets, her mental illness resurfaces. As she degenerates, the couple grapples with a trauma-stricken family of their own creation.

Gabriela, their middle child, suffers from grief and individuation within a family of controversial artists and performative megalomaniacs. She brings an antique object into their house that will irrevocably influence the course of events for years to come.

This literary novel of artistry and dysfunction is not for the faint of heart. It dives deep into a family of decadents distorted by sexuality, deprivation, sickness, memory, identity and death.

282 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2019

About the author

"Powerful, relevant and a stark and intimate examination of how grief leaves its mark on the body." (John Byrne Award, Judging Panel, November Shortlist 2023)

Laura Gentile is a figurative artist with three degrees and a pentalingual poetess of German-Italian descent whose work focuses on transgenerational trauma, grief, violence and abuse.
Laura's poetry and drawings have been shortlisted for the John Byrne Award 2023 and have been exhibited at Summerhall in Edinburgh.
Laura works in three theatres, is a member of three trade unions and teaches at a university.

"coming here to die | polyphonic grief poetry" (poetry)

"Zerreißprobe Menschwerdung | dringende Gedichte" (German poetry)

"symbiosis | a sister's psychogeographical grief" (poetry)

"mutterseelenallein & splitterfasernackt | transgenerationale Trauma- und Trauergedichte" (German poetry)

"you ate popcorn in my house of grief: transgenerational poetry" (poetry)

"Daughterbody II: a self-reclamation through poetry" (poetry)

"Daughterbody I: a self-exorcism through poetry" (poetry)

"Within Paravent Walls" (a novel)

Laura holds a Bachelor in English Studies, a Master of Arts (“The Decadent in Love with his Psychopomp: Thomas Mann's Death in Venice and Adrian Lyne's Lolita”) and a Master of Letters by Research in English Literature, Film and Visual Culture (“Romanticising Decadence and Aestheticising Death: Women as Projection Bodies and Mimetic Identities in Zola’s Thérèse Raquin, Schnitzler’s Dream Story, Süskind’s Perfume: The Story of a Murderer and Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides”).

She showcases her poetry and drawings on her website (croquemelpomene.com) and on Instagram (croque_melpomene & melpomenepaintings).

Reviews

[Vida Boheme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delving deep into dysfunctional family bonds, 'Within Paravent Walls' reminds us of the ever-lasting battle between the individual and the familial. The way the author digs deep into the female characters' psyches makes this book a pleasurable and gripping read. With the real horror being the experiences the characters face in their lifetimes, I particularly enjoyed how the author subtly weaves in a the supernatural as an extension and analysis of the world she created, avoiding horror book clichés and making this a powerful and thought-provoking book.

[Remmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family drama tinted with magical realism in the style of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, permeated by an overwhelming sense of dread and despair, a la Edgar Allan Poe. Yet, author Laura Gentile finds her own voice in an intriguing and unique story. Challenging and at times hard to read, but also hard to put down.

[Liana Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came across this via amazon, being recommended by a friend. After reading the intro I got more and more involved in this tragically fascinating family, their history and fate. Not often do you see this style of writing in this day and age, makes it quite unique definitely 20th century French literary in character and stylism. Very addictive and expressive storytelling.

[Dean Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first few minutes of reading this book and its intro felt almost like a cinematic experience. One can easily get caught by the first few pages and get intrigued by the stylistic writing style that reminds me of of naturalism( numerous similarities with elements from Daudet's L'Arlesienne or even more so of Zola's Therese Raquin). This rich late 19th century writing style full of symbolism combined with deeply visceral dialogues and the development of very tragic characters and their familial dynamics make all in all a rather fascinating read that you don't find that often nowadays.

[Vlad Zamfira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very rich and descriptive novel with fascinating character development. The way the author writes makes the reader easily visualise the action, the characters while leaving enough room for the reader to have his/her own interpretation what is happening and the fate of the characters. At times the way this book is written and structured, it reminds me of Emile Zola and naturalism heavy with epithets, metaphors and beautifully crafted descriptions.

[Lucy Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Le mal du siècle"
This story shook me; I definitely wasn't prepared for this engulfing web of tragedies. The author is fearless in her writing. I really enjoyed the characters' vividity and unforgettability. The psychological details of the family's downfall are overwhelming. Definitely needed a few breaks during my reading. I found the exceptional use of language fascinating. If you're into strong female characters and complex family dynamics this is THE book for you.

[Nicola Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much looked forward to reading this book and I wasn’t disappointed. The story and writing style kept me up past bedtimes to read some more!
The story is shocking at time and doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. The story of Estefania’s tragic life will stay with me a long time.
To anyone reading the book, dedicate some time to take in the story and enjoy Laura Gentile’s unique writing style. You will not regret it.

[Jess Vreede · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story goes under your skin. At times, I had to put the book down because I couldn’t believe what was happening. The way the characters’ inner life is described is deeply psychological. The author does not shy away from the most haunting human topics and tragedies. Definitely recommend it.

[Mayalani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura’s eloquent way of telling the story of ‘Within Paravent Walls’ transports you into a different universe. Each and every character is so well constructed and in-depth that one cannot help but visualise them so clearly. I have to admit that the story gripped me so much that it was incredibly hard to put the book down and yet it had to be done in order to digest its content after every read. But I needed to know how the story would unfold and what would happen to each character. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. However I must say, this novel is not for the faint of heart. It will leave you questioning the world and the people in it. You will come to understand that every single person is going through their own trauma, some more than others, and it is up to each and every single one of us to figure out how we deal with it. Laura creates a fictional universe that is so heartbreakingly real and tangible that it leaves you pondering for a long time after you’ll have closed its cover. A true masterpiece that I hope could one day be made into a film.

[Federico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within Paravent Walls captures you from the very first page and won't let you go. So much more than just a portrait of a dysfunctional family, the book unravels a battle between young and old, female and male, individual and family, love and hate, freedom and captivity, and ultimately life and death. Unlike anything I have ever read before - you will definitely keep thinking about these pages when you go to sleep at night!