What a ride. A pulp occult novel with a rip roaring 'antichrist sells soul to devil, does evils' plot, and an absolutely fascinating lot of stuff on gender, queerness, women's sexuality, redemption, and all. I'm going to spoiler from here even though this is from 1909 because I didn't see all the plot twists coming and thoroughly enjoyed the surprises.
(view spoiler)[So we have Dirk and Theirry and their incredibly passionate friendship. The opening scene as they negotiate the discovery that they have the same unlawful passions could be out of any m/m romance. Whoops, no, it's a passion for the occult. Could have fooled me. Intense love declarations, pining, eyefucking, and vows of mutual devotion follow.
About half way through it begins to be made clear that Dirk was AFAB. The book continues to call him Dirk, and he's identified as a man throughout except when he chooses to adopt a female identity for his purposes. At the end Theirry, who is imperceptive and insensitive as a box of rocks, attempts to check under the dead Dirk's robes (he became the Pope, we'll get to that) whereupon Dirk dissolves in a shower of dust. Fuck you, panty police. The only and brief transphobia in the book comes from Theirry on learning Dirk's birth identity, but this seems to be primarily because, as noted, Dirk has become the Pope. Let us note that, of all the characters, Theirry's the only one showed to be an utterly useless and irredeemable fucknugget throughout.
I do acknowledge that the trans character being, like, *the Antichrist* might sound negative. Honestly, it's not that kind of book. Dirk is sodding great: viciously determined, never faltering, happy to do genuinely bad things such as murdering saints, politics like a champ, becomes the Pope and lives it the hell up. Obviously it ends poorly, but that's kind of inevitable because antichrist, and he's on top till about the last chapter. He's a superb character, whose only weakness is the useless but hot Theirry (whose infidelity is the reason for Dirk's downfall), and we're with him all the way.
Meanwhile the women are equally fascinating. Theirry's other love interest is kind of soppy and virtuous right up to the point she is persuaded (by Dirk) to order her hot steward to murder his wife. Which he does. LI then repents, as you do, but her entire attention is focused on the murdered wife--praying for her soul, thinking about the wrong she did her. Not the man, he buggers off to Palestine, we don't care, and not Theirry, in whom she loses all interest forever. It's just the two women, one taking all the space in the other's head, until they're gloriously reunited after death.
And the Empress! A sly evil witch who murders her husband to make her fancy man the new emperor...and then loves him, attempts to sacrifice herself for him and for peace, and eventually becomes the heroine. Didn't see that coming. Women in this book are driven by love and sex to do terrible things *and are forgiven*, and good things come from bad beginnings. You don't get much of that in gothic. (hide spoiler)]The writing is purple, there's a few racist lines and a lot of religious stuff, obviously, and certes the cod medieval language is painful. But it's a fascinating read with a hugely enjoyable plot and a fascinating set of attitudes for 1909, and as such streets ahead of most occult trash. And I should know.
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