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    The Asylum of Dr. Caligari
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    The Asylum of Dr. Caligari
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    The Asylum of Dr. Caligari
    Ebook169 pages3 hours

    The Asylum of Dr. Caligari

    By James Morrow

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “No one does history-meets-the-fantastic like Morrow. The Asylum of Dr. Caligari is a great example—Impressionism versus expressionism, psychology in the asylum of ‘dreams,’ the weaponization of art, big laughs and big ideas, a wild imagination, and smooth, subtle writing.”
    —Jeffrey Ford, author of A Natural History of Hell

    It is the summer of 1914. As the world teeters on the brink of the Great War, a callow American painter, Francis Wyndham, arrives at a renowned European insane asylum, where he begins offering art therapy under the auspices of Alessandro Caligari—sinister psychiatrist, maniacal artist, alleged sorcerer. And determined to turn the impending cataclysm to his financial advantage, Dr. Caligari will—for a price—allow governments to parade their troops past his masterpiece: a painting so mesmerizing it can incite entire regiments to rush headlong into battle.

    The Asylum of Dr. Caligari is a timely tale that is by turns funny and erotic, tender and bayonet-sharp—but ultimately emerges as a love letter to that mysterious, indispensable thing called art.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTachyon Publications
    Release dateMay 30, 2017
    ISBN9781616962661
    Author

    James Morrow

    Born in 1947, James Morrow has been writing fiction ever since he, as a seven-year-old living in the Philadelphia suburbs, dictated “The Story of the Dog Family” to his mother, who dutifully typed it up and bound the pages with yarn. This three-page, six-chapter fantasy is still in the author’s private archives. Upon reaching adulthood, Jim produced nine novels of speculative fiction, including the critically acclaimed Godhead Trilogy. He has won the World Fantasy Award (for Only Begotten Daughter and Towing Jehovah), the Nebula Award (for “Bible Stories for Adults, No. 17: The Deluge” and the novella City of Truth), and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award (for the novella Shambling Towards Hiroshima). A fulltime fiction writer, Jim makes his home in State College, Pennsylvania, with his wife, his son, an enigmatic sheepdog, and a loopy beagle. He is hard at work on a novel about Darwinism and its discontents.

    Read more from James Morrow

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    Reviews for The Asylum of Dr. Caligari

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. I liked it, its generally odd and a fun read, the downside was it felt like it dragged at times, not sure exactly why but overall it was worth the read if you like absurdist / surrealist literature and enjoy unusual characters
    • 4/5
      I'm not entirely sure what to say about this book. I went in blind save for the blurb on the back cover. It's fascinating, especially for Modernist art fans. I'm not entirely sure if this is a book about madness or a book about art or perhaps something in between the two. It is set where in which he is working something secret to drive the war.The characters are memorable and the magic curious but fitting. There is also a nod to the book's predecessor film, [The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari], in the narrative but the two works are quite different.
    • 4/5
      This is a weird surreal adventure at the start of WWI, where Art and Sorcery in a lunatic asylum are used both on the side of good and peace and evil and war.Dr. Caligari sells access to his masterpiece to the highest bidder. A masterpiece painting that compels its viewers into unbridled passion for war. Both sides of the building conflicts are eager to avail themselves of his services. Francis is an artist from America, who comes to the asylum to work as an art therapist. While there, he uncovers Caligari's plans and endeavors to stop him. With the help of his students, the Spider Queen of Ogygia, the Commander of an Alien Armada, a Grand Chessmaster, and several others, they construct an "antidote" painting to cause the viewer and equally unbridled passion for peace.Its funny, satirical, and poignant. Its a quick read, and I'm not doing it justice, but if you like good witty writing its definitely worth your time."'This morning I learned something marvelous. Never have I hoarded so precious a secret''Pray tell''If I tell, it won't be a secret. If you pray, it will be a waste of time'""Vita Brevis, ars longa" (Life is Short, Art is Forever - to paraphrase the latin)"Only God is flawless," said Ilona. "It's the first thing you'll notice about Him, if he ever gets round to existing"8/10S: 6/20/17 - 6/24/17 (5 Days)
    • 4/5
      James Morrow’s novella picks up Dr Caligari, the main character from the classic silent movie The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, and tell us about his next enterprise: an asylum in a small neutral country just as the beginning of the Great War.I loved the film, and I’ve also very much enjoyed this novella, which blends an entertaining and well written fictional story, with real First World War historical facts. And although a clear anti-war message pervades the book, the story is brilliant in itself, not a mere instrument in the service of the message. The book also deals with many other “serious” issues (art, psychology…), but the humor is present at all times, the characters are engaging and original and the plot is witty (although there were a couple of details I found a bit unbelievable). On the whole, a quick and highly enjoyable read.