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Succubus
In an unnamed city shrouded in mist, Valent Kosmina is a retiree living quietly yet discontentedly with his doped-up, TV-addicted wife. To escape the claustrophobia of home and city, he masquerades as a man of means and takes to spending his nights strolling through an opulent suburb—but when news comes of a gruesome murder on his new turf, Kosmina fears that he may be a suspect. Increasingly anxious and paranoid, Kosmina begins to see a mysterious dark-haired girl following him everywhere—and as this succubus takes hold of him, Kosmina finds his familiar city becoming indistinguishable from the landscape of his own nightmares.
from The Succubus:
This was hardly the first time Valent Kosmina had been unsettled by the thought that someone had pushed or seduced him—or that he had himself, perhaps out of clumsiness or carelessness, simply strayed—into a situation that would later be difficult to get out of. This idea, this fear, was in fact quite familiar to him, and naturally it unnerved him, but never to the degree that he couldn’t shrug it off. A sensible person, after all, manages in one way or another to per- suade himself that he is all right, that he is sufficiently in control of himself, and that life will therefore run its course, peacefully and properly, to its bitter end.
from The Succubus:
This was hardly the first time Valent Kosmina had been unsettled by the thought that someone had pushed or seduced him—or that he had himself, perhaps out of clumsiness or carelessness, simply strayed—into a situation that would later be difficult to get out of. This idea, this fear, was in fact quite familiar to him, and naturally it unnerved him, but never to the degree that he couldn’t shrug it off. A sensible person, after all, manages in one way or another to per- suade himself that he is all right, that he is sufficiently in control of himself, and that life will therefore run its course, peacefully and properly, to its bitter end.
201 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 25, 2020
A very dark and unsettling book, with some nods to Lolita.
With Eastern European atmosphere, the author's close narration builds to a tense paranoia. The prismatic specters of death wraiths loom amid gothic urban streets. The menacing phantasmagoric descriptions are enrapturing. Our narrator is a grumbling, doddering introspective outcast, who lives a pseudo-life of dream, fathoming the soul's intrinsic distrust of humanity's strictures, skirting the zombified masses whose glazed brains and televisioned numbness irk him. With extraordinary prose, Žabot illuminates the tale of a downbeat detail-oriented Everyman. I was riveted by the vivid, densely symbolic flow of palpable regret, pathos, and misanthropy. Weighted down by his guilty conscience, the main characters succumbs to existential anxiety, and an onslaught of absurdity, along with a creepy nubile nymph, all while continually hovering over life's abysses. Through coquettish surrealism, the author captures the universal melancholy of a man suffering from the possibility of a fulfilling life, which taunts him into madness.
With Eastern European atmosphere, the author's close narration builds to a tense paranoia. The prismatic specters of death wraiths loom amid gothic urban streets. The menacing phantasmagoric descriptions are enrapturing. Our narrator is a grumbling, doddering introspective outcast, who lives a pseudo-life of dream, fathoming the soul's intrinsic distrust of humanity's strictures, skirting the zombified masses whose glazed brains and televisioned numbness irk him. With extraordinary prose, Žabot illuminates the tale of a downbeat detail-oriented Everyman. I was riveted by the vivid, densely symbolic flow of palpable regret, pathos, and misanthropy. Weighted down by his guilty conscience, the main characters succumbs to existential anxiety, and an onslaught of absurdity, along with a creepy nubile nymph, all while continually hovering over life's abysses. Through coquettish surrealism, the author captures the universal melancholy of a man suffering from the possibility of a fulfilling life, which taunts him into madness.
March 20, 2021
The protagonist (Valent Kosmina, to give him his name), a superstitious retiree with too much time on his hands, is another of those who “wake up feeling strange” and no wonder, after the dreams, nightmares and fantasies to which he is prone. This is a man suffering high anxiety – existential anxiety – at odds with the zonked out, soap-opera foolishness of the society in which he must live. His only escape from his 15th floor East European housing estate tower, is to create a fantasy life for himself drinking in the cafes and roaming the leafy green streets of an all-together better part of town. Harmless enough at first sight, this has apparently led him into places he should not have gone. A growing penchant for budding teenage girls is gnawing into his dreams and has created a succubus, a nymphet, a Lolita who will not leave him alone. She comes to him in his sleep and his afternoon drowse, she even rings him up and – twist in the ribbon – his wife hears her voice when she answers the phone. There are more twists in the narrative ribbon than it is easy to keep track off – which, of course, is Valent’s problem. A key to what is fantasy and what reality may be (Zabot’s little joke?) the key to the vacant apartment next to Valent’s. Not for everyone, but a nicely paced work I recommend to those who like their literature a bit odd.
April 16, 2011
I was unsure of this book first as I figured it may go the way of many of Dalkey's European writers into some semi-comic Kafkaesque goofy adventure. While the protagonist clearly seems to be of that realm at the beginning, the twists and turns are present. By page 150, I found myself (and my imagination) so gripped by the book, that I couldn't wait to just finish it as Chapter 14 is such a whirlwind. In fact, the last chapter left me somewhat confused and I can't say I am clear on what happened. Sadly, there is not much available on this book (or, on Zabot) online so I can't follow up my theories with reading others. Its ending reminded me of DAY OF THE LOCUST in its significant head-flipping and movement from these constant interiors to this agoraphobic yet dynamic exterior nightmares. It is a mystery novel, a thriller, a dark comedy, but to use any of these terms to describe this book undermines its explosive and subversive tendencies.
October 13, 2011
There is a nice strangeness to this book, a dreamlike logic that lends an early ambiguity to the narrative. And although the "succubus" adds erotic elements these erotic elements are disturbing, fever dreamed, unreal, and dangerous.
October 21, 2020
Now perhaps it is just my weird taste and the places I go looking for books but it seems as if there is a disproportionate amount of material coming from Eastern Europe that is full of existentialist angst.
If that is your thang, then hurrah! for this will be your thing as it is more of the same.
The publishers blurb overplays the 'nymphet' angle and whilst she is a part of the plot, overall it is far more about a retired person trying to live some simulacrum of his past life; dressing up as if he is going to do some 'business', strolling in more affluent neighbourhoods, and trying to escape (obliterate?) his (non) relationship with his wife.
There is an overall feeling of dislocation and disorientation together with some great creepy moments, especially one set on the top floor of the apartment where our protagonist lives. As the book progresses the plot becomes more fragmented it does not have an ending as such, but this suits the book and was not a problem for me.
It is not exactly clear which elements are part of (self induced?) mental breakdown or whether outside forces of some occult sort are impinging themselves upon him. Perhaps both- his neighbours do not understand the events or are part of a conspiracy- shades of Roland Torpors 'The Tenant' and this gives the book a bleak overall feel that might/should appeal to fans of, say, Thomas Ligotti or Roman Polanski's film 'Repulsion'. Žabot is an entirely new name to me and on the basis of this, I would like to read more by him.
If that is your thang, then hurrah! for this will be your thing as it is more of the same.
The publishers blurb overplays the 'nymphet' angle and whilst she is a part of the plot, overall it is far more about a retired person trying to live some simulacrum of his past life; dressing up as if he is going to do some 'business', strolling in more affluent neighbourhoods, and trying to escape (obliterate?) his (non) relationship with his wife.
There is an overall feeling of dislocation and disorientation together with some great creepy moments, especially one set on the top floor of the apartment where our protagonist lives. As the book progresses the plot becomes more fragmented it does not have an ending as such, but this suits the book and was not a problem for me.
It is not exactly clear which elements are part of (self induced?) mental breakdown or whether outside forces of some occult sort are impinging themselves upon him. Perhaps both- his neighbours do not understand the events or are part of a conspiracy- shades of Roland Torpors 'The Tenant' and this gives the book a bleak overall feel that might/should appeal to fans of, say, Thomas Ligotti or Roman Polanski's film 'Repulsion'. Žabot is an entirely new name to me and on the basis of this, I would like to read more by him.
August 14, 2018
FUNNY STORY my dear friend sofie and I were waiting for our delayed bus in slovenia and we met this american guy who was a creative writing master’s student at columbia and ended up hanging out with him for the whole bus ride and he gave me this book originally written in Slovene but this one was one of 700 copies translated to English and he put his instagram handle and number at the back and said to let him know when I finished and we could meet up. Well, the book was not very enjoyable for me it was totally non linear and confusing I felt like I was inside a hurricane the whole time that was swirling in the protagonist’s mind. He seemed extremely schizophrenic and I still have no idea if his fanatical descriptions of seeing this sexy young girl were at all based in reality or merely some strange type of mirage. Also was he the one actually committing the murders because that’s what I thought? Unclear! The most redeeming quality was the essay at the end that was extremely well written and provided a useful and favorable analysis of the novel. Reading that actually gave me a deeper appreciation for the book because I was able to be like wow true that was pretty unusual and masterful. Overall don’t recommend but I enjoyed given the special circumstances. Oh also we met up and discussed book in Brooklyn. Think he felt similarly about it. But now he wants to abandon writing and become a visual artist?! What a ride.
February 1, 2024
Головний герой, пенсіонер Валент Косміна живе у вигаданому собою світі. В англійській мові є таке слово overthinking, яке ідеально описує його поведінку. Впродовж всієї книги я не розуміла навіщо він так переймається всім, мріє та вигадує. Все це здавалося якимось неправильним і на межі з не нормальністю. В результаті він почав параноїти і остаточно збожеволів в моїх очах.
Також в цій книзі головного героя тягне до маленьких дівчат. Він нічого поганого не робить і не думає, але всеодно це було гидко читати. Через це книгу не рекомендую.
Також в цій книзі головного героя тягне до маленьких дівчат. Він нічого поганого не робить і не думає, але всеодно це було гидко читати. Через це книгу не рекомендую.
June 22, 2017
Високохудожній опис безумства.
August 27, 2016
Usprkos svim fantazmagoričnim i nadrealnim elementima koje Žabot ovdje isprepliće te (nepotrebno) složenoj konstrukciji rečenica koje ponegdje zauzimaju i cijelu stranicu (pretpostavljam s ciljem da stvore nekakav viši umjetnički dojam), Sukub na kraju nije ništa drugo nego tek pomalo neobična priča o gubitku razuma jednog ostarjelog čovjeka. Ima tu zanimljivih dijelova i detalja i u početku je intrigantno pokušati razlikovati stvarno od nestvarnog, no relativno brzo mi je prestalo biti stalo. Naime, kad postane očito da Valent Kosmina jednostavno postepeno ludi, gubi se sva napetost i neizvjesnost i Žabot ju do (razočaravajućeg) kraja ne uspijeva vratiti. Šteta, jer bilo je tu potencijala za puno više.
April 2, 2014
Awful. A mysterious murder. A man and wife who have grown apart and passive/aggressively needle each other with loathing. An apparition of an underage Lolita beckoning from the shadows. Dark strangers leaving foreboding gifts. Suspenseful dream sequences. AND NOTHING GETS RESOLVED. No answers are given, no explanations, just all the elements of a horror flick with no payoff. This novel is all build and no climax. No descending action. It is chock full of scenes that SET the scene to keep you on the edge of your seat...but for nothing.
Terrible book. Waste of time.
Terrible book. Waste of time.
November 30, 2011
What a weird book! I was completely absorbed the entire time I was reading this even though I'm still a little unsure about the ending. I think the lack of direct information is what makes the storyline so fascinating. It reminded me a bit of Donnie Darko.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews