Medusa by Martine Desjardins

 

Medusa / Martine Desjardins
trans. from the French by Oana Avasilchioaei
Vancouver, BC: Talon Books, 2022, c2020.
208 p.

This is another story of a girl with unusual powers, but this time it's the power to kill men just by looking them in the eyes. It's written by Martine Desjardins, a Quebecois writer I really like; I've read all of her work which has been translated into English so far. 

Some I've liked more than others; this is one of the darker ones. They are all slightly off-kilter, which is what I appreciate about her work. In this one, our main character is a rejected daughter, the youngest of three, who has been called Medusa for so long she can't recall what her actual name is. Her family keeps her locked away, where she never looks up beyond her veil of hair -- her oracular deformities can kill. 

And then her family decides to commit her to the Atheneum, an Institute for young girls with various "malformations" -- an isolated institution on the shores of a deep lake filled with jellyfish. Medusa is so terrifying, however, that she doesn't even become a student, instead being assigned to housekeeping. She is clever, though, and befriends other students even while the school's Benefactors play their twisted games with the girls. 

There is plenty of misogyny and body shame going on in this book, with women's bodies pathologized and most of the men ridiculous and petty. Medusa hasn't even seen her own eyes, being too terrifying to examine. But when she runs away and meets a minor crook who takes her in and isn't afraid of her at all, she begins to feel more agency over her own life and body. And we finally find out what exactly the nature of her oracular abominations is. 

The language in this book is elaborate, intricate, almost Victorian but in a macabre way. We have a very eloquent narrator, who describes her surroundings and the quirks of those around her frankly, sparing no-one. It's a strange story, with ornate cruelties and everyday sadism. But if you like this style of dark gothic with feminist overtones, written in curliqued prose, you'll definitely want to give this a go!