As far as I am concerned, the stretch of time between the end of summer and winter solstice is a time of lush moody liminality. As the days grow shorter, the childish frolics of summer recede into the seemingly distant past like ghosts melting into the shadows at the corners of the bedroom. Gone are the electric blue skies, smells of flowers and lawns, and occasional unintended glimpses of sunbathers’ testicles or breasts. Despite the candy canes and fairy lights that will begin to appear just as soon as the Halloween cobwebs and skulls have been cleared away, we are still an eternity away from the luminous feasts and trinkets of the winter holidays. Right about now, we are deeply ensconced in the most eerily beautiful weeks of the year. In keeping with the spirit of this wonderfully melancholy season, I always like to reinforce all the autumnal feels with a carefully curated selection of suitably mysterious and melancholy collection of books, films, and music. Over the course of this and the next two columns, I’m going to share a small grab bag of what I’ve been enjoying lately, starting this week a look at three of my favourite dark treats, including a book, a record, and a film. Whether you are a kohl-rimmed, black-lipsticked goth or an elderly romantic punk like me, I hope you find something in these selections that resonates with you.
In the Bedside Bookshelf: The Devil of Nanking, by Mo Hayder
This is a really bonkers story, a wild ride of a book. It’s a rare novel that combines this level of violence with such depth and beauty. Hayder, who died just a couple of years ago, was a model and actress turned author, who wrote a string of well respected literary thrillers that were noted for their depth and intensity. This one is a doozy, a sweeping epic involving a very enigmatic narrator named Grey, who travels to Tokyo to pursue a trail of knowledge about the notorious Nanking massacre, in which she has an obsessive interest. It gets wilder and wilder, with deep dives into history, Japanese folklore, the glamour and seediness of Tokyo nightlife, and the Yakuza, amongst other things. The ending is pitch perfect and heartbreaking. Top notch writing, muscular and fluid, with lots of elegant flair. Gory and macabre from start to finish, but also lyrical and humane. Pure joy.
On the Screen: Deep Red, by Dario Argento
For those of you not familiar with it, and who are equipped with relatively strong nerves and stomach, the Italian genre of horror films known as giallo, combining nail-biting psychological horror tropes and dark surrealism, is a gory treasure trove. Dario Argento is the generally acknowledged master of the genre. Delirious and dynamic, his cinematic works feature gloriously over-the-top storylines and breathtaking visual panache. Although he’s probably best known for his excellent 1977 film Suspiria, for my money his real masterpiece was the 1975 serial killer story Deep Red (Profondo Rosso in the original Italian), an unforgettable, blood-drenched fever dream unlike any other. So beautiful and terrible it has to be seen to be believed. If you like horror, and you haven’t seen this, prepare to be pleased.
On the Turntable: Chelsea Girl, by Nico
Sometimes I want to live in the past. Not necessarily my own past, but some specific epoch or other that appeals to me. For that purpose, few things can transport me quite as tastily as the vocal stylings of the German-American model, singer, and actress known as Nico (1938 – 1988). Her spellbinding contralto is one of the most unique instruments in pop music history. The best way I can describe it is to ask you to imagine the sound of a haunting cello being played in the basement of an abandoned factory. Although she is most closely associated with the experimental underground music and art scene 1960s and 70s New York, specifically The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol, her voice is both timeless and otherworldly; a voice that would be just as much at home in a Belle Epoque nightclub in Paris, Lisbon, Berlin, or Marseille. Listen to her renderings of “These Days” and “The Fairest of the Seasons,” for instance – refined and world weary gems of sad beauty. A perfect, late night seasonal treat.
