"There was fear deep down in their hearts. Their desires shuddered. They were leaning on each other, in a way, as though above an abyss whose horror enticed them; they hunched together over their existence, clinging on speechless while a searingly voluptuous vertigo made their limbs droop and gave them a crazed sensation of falling."

Le Figaro described this as "putrid". I know they meant it as a negative, but it's a perfect description and wouldn't deter me. The Vintage cover is such a great choice: delicate lace with a few drops of blood and the title hovering over a black hole. That's what this is: a bleak black hole of two souls entwined, not out of love but out of lust, passion, boredom, and obsession.

After the foreseeable happens, it becomes a horrible fleshy nightmare where two people are stuck in their tombs but still alive (some of the imagery is almost Poe-esque and some very graphic for its time). It's also incredible writing (and Adam Thorpe's translation is flawless).

The 1953 movie
Although I'm a stickler for faithful book adaptations, I like when the changes form a cohesive vision instead of changing things for no apparent reason. In this case, it's a move to a more straightforward noir-ish film which, as a noir fan, makes it easier for me to like it. Not the best Carné I've seen, but still excellent.