Though he wrote over a hundred short stories and numerous comic strip scenarios, Jean Ray wrote only two novels: Malpertuis and The City of Unspeakable Fear.

Born Raymundus Johannes de Kremer, Ray was a major of the Belgian School of the Strange. He is considered a Francophone equivalent to Poe or Lovecraft. Poe was undoubtedly an influence. Ray was a contemporary of Lovecraft, as translations of his stories, under the pseudonym John Flanders, were published in Weird Tales. Lovecraft in his letters would comment positively on some of his stories.

Ray’s best work would come later during and following a prison sentence for embezzlement. During this time he would write two of his best short stories: “The Mainz Psalter” and “The Gloomy Alley.” (Both were collected in Cruise of Shadows.) I believe it is after his imprisonment he started writing his masterpiece Malpertuis. I may be wrong since it is apparently not certain when he started his first novel.

Ray’s two novels, Malpertuis and The City of Unspeakable Fear, have been published by Wakefield Press. For Malpertuis, they used the same translation by Iain White which was released previously by Atlas Press. This is The City of Unspeakable Fear’s first time in English. It was translated by Scott Nicholy, who also provides a good afterward to Malpertuis.

Malpertuis takes place in the house of the same name. It is the home of the sorcerer Quentin Cassave. A part of his will is that his relatives and servants must live in the house in exchange for their inheritance. The last surviving inheritors, if they be male and female, must marry. Among this motley cast of characters is Jean-Jacque Grandsire, the protagonist, his sister Nancy, the beautiful Eurayle, the spinsters Eleanor, Rosalie and Alice Cormelon, the crazed Lampernisse, and the sinister taxidermist Philarethe, among others. Another important character is the priest Abbe Doucedame who will unravel Malpertuis’ mystery.

Malpertuis is narrated by different people at different times. The majority of the time it is from Jean-Jacques’ point of view, but there are others. This creates a puzzle-like narrative.

The real reason for Cassave’s strange will remains mysterious for most of the novel, but involves a sea voyage and Greek mythology.

Like Poe and Lovecraft, Ray is a master of atmosphere. The first half of the novel happens in Malpertuis. The atmosphere of the novel is ominous and claustrophobic. I actually felt relief when Jean-Jacques flees the house after terrifying events halfway through. Unfortunately for him Malpertuis is not done with and the horror continues until its shocking climax.

What is interesting is that there is a sense of pathos for what is actually one of the most terrifying monsters in mythology. To say more would give away too much. Malpertuis is similar to Frankenstein in that the horror is mixed with pathos. I would even go out on the limb that it might be better than Mary Shelley’s novel.

The City of Unspeakable Fear is a lesser work. All authors are to some degree uneven in quality. Ray is no exception. That is not to say it is a bad novel, it’s just not as good as Malpertuis.

In some ways, the novel might be considered a parody of the classical mystery novel. The novel’s protagonist is Sidney Triggs, a minor police bureaucrat who is mistaken for an expert detective. He soon finds a series of mysteries to solve. There is much humor in the novel from people mistaking Triggs as more competent than he really is.

The City of Unspeakable Fear has some of the atmospheric flourishes of Malpertuis. The fictional town, Ingersham, is part of an imaginary England. Ray probably never visited the isle but he was fascinated by English culture.

The supernatural is limited to the opening and ending chapter. The first chapter is about a mysterious Them who routinely appear through English history causing a great many deaths. This is an excellent idea and I sort of wish Ray had written a novel about that. The last chapter has an appearance of a ghost. All other mysteries in Ingersham have “rational” explanations.

The City of Unspeakable Fear is not a masterpiece, but it is entertaining.

For those who are interested in Ray, I would highly recommend Malpertuis. I would also suggest the short story collection Cruise of Shadows. If after that you want to read more of Ray, The City of Unspeakable Fear and his other collections are available.