"A terse psychological thriller told in the form of case notes, diary excerpts, and letters, Bramson's novel recounts the downfall of Leon Morel, a celebrated Parisian doctor who has made a fortune treating the neurasthenic maladies of aristatic women whom he routinely takes as his lovers until he tires of them and moves on. Morel uses his wealth to establish a free clinic for the poor where he poisons patients who have lost all hope but continue to cling to their wretched lives. Morel considers death the greatest gift to he can give such individuals because it frees them from the burden of existence. To this end, he is aided by a beautiful young nun who has fallen under the sway not only of his charm but also of his cold logic. Egotistical, cruel, and vain, Morel is capable of great feeling and sentiment but always succumbs to his baser instincts. Contemptuous of the women he seduces, he falls deeply in love with Lucienne d'Aubray, an innocent youth who believes there is good in Morel despite his infamous reputation. Morel's genuine love for Lucienne, however, does not satiate his physical lusts, and he is repeatedly unfaithful to her, endlessly confessing his transgressions. Unable to stop himself from driving Lucienne to despair, Morel decides to kill her to end her misery. Originally published in Danish in Copenhagen in 1906, the novel was first published in English in Great Britain as THE CASE OF DR. MOREL (A. M. Philpot) in 1926. Karen Bramson (1875-1936) was a Danish author primarily noted for her plays during her lifetime. Her works often explored the oppression of women in marriage and female masochistic tendencies, themes that lurk in the background of DR. MOREL." - Boyd White
19.05.23, 19:42
Dr. Morel,
Normal
