Geges Batille Batille STORY OF THE EYE by Lord Lo rd Au Auch ranslated by Joac him Neugroschel
CITY LIGHTS BOOKS BOOKS an Francisco
Originay published in Frnce in 1928 as Histoire de l'oeil 1967 by Jean Jacques Puvert, Paris This transation Urizen Books Books 977 First City Lights Edition 1987
© ©
Cover photograph and design by Gent Sturgeon nd Rex Ray
Library of Congress Catloging-in-Publication Data Batale Georges 1897-96. Story of the eye Translation of: Histoire de loei. I. Tte. PQ2603 PQ2603 A695H4813 1987 843'.912 843'.912 87942 87942 ISBN 087286-209-7
City Lights Books are avaiabe to bookstores bookstores through our prmary distrbutor: distrbutor: Subterranean CompanyPO. CompanyPO. Box 16065 S. 5th St Monroe OR 97456541847-5274 Tolfree orders 800-74-7826 FAX 541-8476018. Our books are lso avilable through ibrary jobbers and regional distributors. For personal For personal orers and catalogs please write to City Lights Books Books 6 Coumbus Avenue San Frncsco CA 94133 CITY LITS BOOKS BOOKS are eted by Lawrence eringhetti an Nncy JPeters JPeters nd published at the Cty Lights Bookstore 261 Coumbus Avenue San Francisco CA CA 9413
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Contents
Tan s l atos n o t v v Pat n: THE TLE TLE 1 Pat o: CINCIDENCES ...... ............ ... 87 C.Pfac to Story of the Eye ................. 97 fom Le Petit: 193 ...... tln of a sql 102
Originay published in Frnce in 1928 as Histoire de l'oeil 1967 by Jean Jacques Puvert, Paris This transation Urizen Books Books 977 First City Lights Edition 1987
© ©
Cover photograph and design by Gent Sturgeon nd Rex Ray
Library of Congress Catloging-in-Publication Data Batale Georges 1897-96. Story of the eye Translation of: Histoire de loei. I. Tte. PQ2603 PQ2603 A695H4813 1987 843'.912 843'.912 87942 87942 ISBN 087286-209-7
City Lights Books are avaiabe to bookstores bookstores through our prmary distrbutor: distrbutor: Subterranean CompanyPO. CompanyPO. Box 16065 S. 5th St Monroe OR 97456541847-5274 Tolfree orders 800-74-7826 FAX 541-8476018. Our books are lso avilable through ibrary jobbers and regional distributors. For personal For personal orers and catalogs please write to City Lights Books Books 6 Coumbus Avenue San Frncsco CA 94133 CITY LITS BOOKS BOOKS are eted by Lawrence eringhetti an Nncy JPeters JPeters nd published at the Cty Lights Bookstore 261 Coumbus Avenue San Francisco CA CA 9413
�
Contents
Tan s l atos n o t v v Pat n: THE TLE TLE 1 Pat o: CINCIDENCES ...... ............ ... 87 C.Pfac to Story of the Eye ................. 97 fom Le Petit: 193 ...... tln of a sql 102
I
Translator's Note
Sory of the Eye was Geoe ataille's fist novel, an thee wee fo eitions, the fist in 1928. The othe thee, known as the "new vesion, vesion, came ot in 1940 94, an 1967. The "new vesion iffes so thoohly in all etails fom the fist eition that one can jstifiably speak of two istinct ooks nee, the Gallima pblication of the complete woks incles both vesions in its openin volme This Ameican tanslation is base on the
vii
original ersion, but the "Outline or a Sequel comes from the fourth edition Of all the editions, only the final, posthum 0us one bore the author's name The other three were credited to Lord Auch, a pseudonym explained in Bataille's short prose pece Le Petit (1943). (This section from Le Petit is included at the end of this volume) J.N.
viii
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Part One
THE TALE
TE ONE
The Cat's Eye
I gw up y much alon, an as fa back as I call I was fghtn of anythng sxual I was naly sixtn whn I mt Smon, a gl my own ag, at h bach n . u famls b ng stantly stantly lat w qucy gw ntmat Th ays aft aft ou fst mtng, Smon an I w alon n h lla Sh was wang a black pnafo wth a stach wht colla I bgan alzng that sh sha my anxty at sng h, an I flt n mo anxous that ay bcaus I hop sh woul b stak nak un th pnafo
GEORGES BATALLE
She had black slk stockings on coveng he knees, but I was unable to see as far up as the cunt (ths name, whch I always used wth Smone, s, I thnk, by far the lovelest of the names for the va gna) It meely struck me that by slghtly lftng the pnafore from behnd, I mght see he prvate parts unveled Now n the corne of a hallway thee was a sauce of mlk fo the cat "Mlk s for the pussy, sn't t? sad Smone "Do you dare me to st n the saucer? "I dare you, I answered, almost breathless The day was extremely hot Smone put the saucer on a small bench, planted herself before me, and, wth her eyes fxed on me, she sat down wthout my beng able to see he burnng b uttocs under the skrt, dppng nto the cool mlk The blood shot to Py head, and I stood befoe he awhle, mmoble and temblng, as she eyed my stff cock bulgng n my pants. Then I lay down at he feet wthout he strng, and for the fst tme, I saw he "pnk and dark flesh coolng n the whte mlk We remaned motonless, on and on, both of us equally overwhelmed . . . Suddenly, she got up, and I saw the mlk drppng down he thghs to the stockings She wped heself evenly wth a handkechef as she stood ove my head wth one foot on the small bench, and I vgoously rubbed my cock though the pants whle wrthng amoously on the floor We reached orgasm at almost the same nstant 4
Story of the Eye
wthout even touchng one anothe But when he mother came hom e, I was sttng n a low armchar, and I took advantage of the moment when the gl tendely snuggled n her mother's arms: I lfted the back of he pnafore, unseen, and thust my hand under he cun t between her two bunng legs I dashed ho me, eage to jek off some moe, and the next day there wee such dak rngs around my eyes that Smone, afte peeng at me fo a whle, bured her head n my shoulder and sad earnestly: "I don't want you to jek off anymoe wthout me
Thus a love lfe started between the grl and myself, and t was so ntmate and so dven that we could hadly let a week go by wthout meetng And yet we vrtually never talked about t I realzed that he feelngs at see ng me were the same as m ne at seeng her, but I found t dffcult to have thngs out I emember that one day, when we wee n a car toolng along at top speed, we cashed nto a cyclst, an apparently vey young and vey petty gl He head was almost totally rpped off by the wheels Fo a long tme , we were paked a few yads beyond wthout gettng out, fully absobed n the sght of the copse The hoo and despar at so much bloody flesh, nauseatng n part, and n pat very beautful, was faly equvalent to our usual mpresson upon seeng one another Smone was tall and lovely She was usually vey natual; thee 5
GEORGES BATAILLE
sirt, ripped off the panties, an d drunenly showed me a new cunt, as lovely and pure as her own: I issed it furiously while jerking off Simone, whose legs closed around the hips of that strange Marcelle, who no longer hid anything but her sobs. "Marcelle, I exclaimed, "please, please don't cry I want you to kiss me on the mouth . . . Simone, for her part, stroed the girl's lovely smooth hair, covering her body with fon isses.
Story of the Eye
and coming violently, whipped by the ownpour, my hea loce in her soilcovered legs, her face wallowing in the puddle, where she was brutally churning Marcelle's cunt, one arm around Marcelle's hips, the hand yanking the thigh, forcing it open.
Meanwhile the sy had turne quite thun ery, and with nightfall, huge rainrops began plopping down, bringing relief from the harshness of a torrid, airless day. The sea was loudly raging, outroare by long rumbles o thune, while flashes of lightning, bright as day, et brusquely evealing the two pleasure c unts of the now silen t girls. A brutal frenzy drove our three bodies. Two young mouths fought over my ass, my balls, and my coc, but I still ept pushing apart female legs wet with saliva and come, splaying them as if writhing out of a monster's grip, and yet that monster was nothing but the utter violence of my movemen ts. The hot rain was finally pouring own and streaming over our fully exposed bodies Huge booms of thunder shoo us, heightening our fury, wresting forth our cries of rage, which each flash accompanie with a glimpse of our sexual parts. Simone ha d foun a mud puddle, and was smear ing he rself willy: sh e was je ring off wth the earth 8
9
tory of the ye
ATE TWO
The Antique Wardrobe
That was th io whn Simon vo a mania o bking ggs with h ass Sh wou o a hastn on an amchai in th ao h back against th chais back h gs bnt towas m whi I jk o in o to com in h ac I wou put th gg ight on th ho in h ss an sh wou skiu am us h s b shaking it in th cck o h buttocks Th momnt m jizm shot out an tic own h s h buttocks wou squz togth an sh 10
wou com whi I sma m ac bunnt in h ass soon o cous h moth who might nt th via ao t n momnt i catch us in ou unusua act But sti th ist tim this in woman stumb uon us sh was contnt sit hving an xma i to g woss so that w i not notic a thing I su os sh was too abbgast to sak But whn w w on an ting to can u th mss w notic h staning in th oo wa "tn ths no on th Simon to m an sh wnt on wiing h ass n in w bith sto out as though th woman ha bn uc to a ami otit w as at howv whn Simon ws oing gmnastics with m in th ats o a gaag sh iss on h moth who h th miso tun to sto unnath without sing h Th sa wiow got out o th wa an ga at us with such isma s an such a sat xssion that sh gg us on that is to sa sim with Simon busting into aught couching on a ous on th bams an xosing h cunt to m ac I uncov that cunt comt an jk o whi ooking at it o than a wk ha ass without ou sing ac whn w an into h on th stt on a Th bon gi timi an naiv ious 11
GEORGES BATAILLE
Story of the Eye
had undressed, she m umbled almost narticul ately "Piss on me . . . Piss o n my c un t . . . she repeated, with a kind of thirst. Marcelle gaped at this spectacle: she blushed again, her face was blood-red. But then she said to me, without even seeing me, that she wanted to take of her dress. I half tore it off, and hard upon it, her underwear. All she had left was her stockings and belt, and after I fingered her cunt a bit and kissed her on the mouth, she glided across the room to a large antique bridal wardrobe, where she sh ut he rself in after whisperi ng a few words to Simone.
tary hiccups but scarcely managed to iterrupt a brutal onslaught on cunts and cocks. And yet soon we could hear Marcelle dismally sobbing alone, louder and l ouder, in the makeshift pissoir that was now her prison.
She wanted to jerk off in the wardrobe and was pleading to be left in peace. I ought to say that we were all very drunk and completely bowled over by wat had been going on. The naked boy was being sucked by a girl. Simone, standing with her dress tucked up, was rubbing her bare cunt against the wardrobe, in which a girl was audibly jerking off with brutal gasps. All at onc e, something incredible happened, a strange swish o f water, followed by a trickle and a stream from under the wardrobe door poor Mar celle was pissing in her wardrobe while jerking off. But the explosion of totally drunken guffaws that ensued rapidly degenerated into a debauche of tumbling bodies, lofty legs and asses, wet skirts and come. Guffaws emerged like foolish and involun
14
Half an hour later, when I was less drunk, it dawned on me that I ought to let Marcelle out of her wardrobe: the unhappy girl, naked now, was in a dreadful state. She was trembling and shivering feverishly. Upon seeing me, she displayed a sickly but violent terror. After all, I was pale, smeared with blood, my clothes askew. Behind me, in unspeakabe disorder, ill b odies, b razenly stripped, were sprawled about. During the orgy, shards of glass had left deep bleeding cuts in two of us. A young girl was throwing up, and all of us had exploded in such wild fits of laughter at some point or other that we had wet our clothes, an armchair, or the floo. The resulting stench of blood, sperm, urine, and vomit made me almost recoil in horror, but the inhuman shriek from Marcelle's throat was far more terrifying. I must say, however, that Simone was sleeping tranquilly by now, her belly up, her hand still on her beaver, her pacified face almost smiling. Marcelle, staggering wildly across the room with shrieks and snarls, looked at me again. She flinched back as though I were a hideous ghost in a
15
GEORGES BATALLE
nghtmare, and she cllapsed n a jeremad f hwls that grew mre and mre nhuman Astnshngly, ths ltay brught me t my senses. Peple were runnng up, t was nevtable. But I never fr an nstant dreamt f fleeng r lessenng the scandal. On the cntrary, I reslutely strde t the dr and flung t pen What a spec tacle, wht jy! One can readly pcture the cres f dsmay, the desperate shreks, the exaggerated threats f the parents enterng the rm! Crmnal cur t, prsn , the gullt ne were evked wth fery yells and spasmdc curses Our frends themselves began hwlng and sbbng n a delrum f tearful screams; they sunded as f they had been set afre as lve trches. Smne exulted wth me! And yet, what an atrcty! It seemed as f nthng culd termnate the tragcmcal frenzy f these lunatcs, fr Marcelle, stll naked, kept ges tculatng, and her agnzng shreks f pan expressed unbearable terrr and mral sufferng; we watched her bte her mther's face amd arms vanly tryng t subdue her. Indeed, by burstng n, the parents managed t wpe ut the last shreds f reasn, and n the end, the plce had t be called, wth all the neghbrs wtnessng the utrages scandal.
CAPTER THREE
Marcelle's Smell
My wn parents had nt turned up tat eveng wth te pack evertheless, juged t prudent t ecamp and ele te wrath f a awful fater te ept me f a senle Cath c geera l. I en ter d ur vlla by the back dr and flce a certan amunt f mey. ext, qte cnvnced they wld k fr me everhere bt tere, I tk a bat my father's berm. Fnally, by arund ten 'clck, I was ut n the pe cutr , havg left e fl wng n te n m y mthe r s ngt table " beseech yu nt t sed te pl ce after me fr I am carryg a gun, and the frst
16
7
ory of he ye
EORES BAALLE
ti dvoto to Simo. I fact cmstacs f Macll's cofimt ad ve t ame f te sataum. Fm te vy fst day ess gttg t e day bsquly slpped away
"Y ou're totally nsane,
" I m nt nterestedhere,
'
a hsewfe and mthr! I' ll only do it wth
Macell! "Wat a yu talkig about? I asked apptd S cam back affctately ad sad a gtl "Liste w s ses s . . . akig t. I felt a ht,
lgs, watered her body, t th unchast and fantly murmuring spurt n her skn. After thus fldng her cunt, j zm all vr hr fac. Fll of m uck, n a l bratng frnzy. Sh deply nhald or pungent and happy odor: "Yo smll lik Marclle sh boyantly cnfdd aftr a hfty clmax, nose undr my wet ass.
Obviosly Smo ad I we somtimes
tak wit a violt ds t fuck ut w lge tugt t culd be de wtut Macelle wos pcg cs kpt gatig ou as wee lked t mst vlet deses. Tus t was tat u sxal deam kpt cagig t a igt mae. Macelle's smle ses of same tat mad e edde ad fully ed lvely bld bttocks to mpu ads muts made e lck self t wadbe t jk ff wt sc abado tat s could t elp pssgall tese tigs wapd ou dss tat ty dlssly ackd us. Simo duct duig t scadal ad be me obsc ta ve spawld out slf Sme cld ot fget tat te ufese ogasm povoked by e ow bazeess cell's wls ad t akedss f wtg limbs ad eve maaged to pctue bfe. Ad e cut would ot op to m ulss Macell's gost g zess ovewelmg a d faeacig saclg we to d vytig geally dadful ad ifamous. At ay ate otig esmbles tem me ta t days f flod ad stm ev te sffcatig gasous
all w w t le w I t
b dam
and wh
GEORGES BATALLE
erptions of volcanoes, and they never trn active excep, ike srms r vcanes, wih something of caasrophe r disaser)those hearbreaking regions, like Simone, in an abandon presaging ny vilence, allowed me sare hypnoically, were nohing fr me now b he profnd, sbterranean empire f a Marcelle who was ormened in prison and at he mercy of nightmares. There was nly one thing I ndersood: hw tery he orgasms ravaged the girl's face with sobs interrped by hrrible shrieks And Simo ne, for her part, n longer viewed he hot, acrid come that she cased to spr from my cock withot seeing it muck p Marcelle's moth and cnt. "Yo could smack her face wih yor cme, she confided o m e, while smearing her cnt"till i izzles, as she pu it.
I
CHAPTER FOUR
A Sunspot
Other girls and bys n longer interested s. All we could hink of was Marcelle, and already we childishly imagined her hanging herself, he secret bural, the funeral appariins. Finally, one evening, after getting the precise informaion, we took or bcycles and pe daed off to the sanitarim where or friend was confined. In less han an ho r, we had ridden the tweny kilo meters separa ing s from a sort o f casle within a walled park on an isolaed cliff overlooking the sea. We had learned hat Marcelle was in Room 8, bt obviosly 22
23
GEORGES BATAILLE
Story of the Eye
I coud not even understand why had the idea of removing my pants and continuing that anguishing exporation ony in my shirt. And yet I stripped off my cothes, piece by piece, eaving them on a chair, keeping ony my shoes on. With a flashight in my eft hand and the revover in my right hand, I wandered aimessy, haphazardy. A ruste made me switch off my amp quicky. I stood motiones s, whing away the time by istening to my erratic breath. Long, anxious minutes wore by without my hearing any more noise, and so I fashed my ight back on, but a faint cry sent me feeing so swifty that I forgot my cothes on the chair. I sensed I was being foowed: so I hurriedy cimbed out through the window and hid in a garden ane but no sooer had I turned to observe what might be happening in the chteau than I spied a naked woman in the window frame; she jumped into the park as I had done and ran off towards a thorn bush.
sheet, aso heped to prevent me from discering anything distinct in my wi or in my gestures.
Nothing was more bizarre for me in those uttery thriing moments than my nudity against the wind on the path of that unknown garden. It was as if I had eft the earth, especiay because the squa was as vioent as ever, but warm enough to suggest a bruta entreaty. I did not kow what to do with the gun which I sti hed in my hand, for I had no pockets eft; by charging after the woman who had run past me unrecognized, I woud obviousy be hunting her down to ki her. The roar of the wrathfu eements, the raging of the trees and the 26
A at once, I hated, out of breath: I had reached the bushes where the shadow had disappeared. Infamed by my revover, I began ooking about, whe suddeny it seemed as if a reaity were tearing apart: a hand, moistened by saiva, had grabbed my cock and was jerking it, a sobber ing, burning kiss was panted on the root of my ass, the naked chest and egs of a woman pressed against my egs with an orgasmic jot. I scarcey had time to spi around when come burst in the face of my wonderfu Simone: cutching my revover, I was swept up by a thri as vioent as the storm, my teeth chattered and my ips foamed, with twisted arms I gripped my gun convusivey, and, wiyniy, three bind, horrifying shots were fired in the direction of the chteau. Drunk and imp, Simone and I had fed from one another and raced across the park ike dogs; the squa was far too wid now for the gunshots to awake any of the seeping tenants in the chteau, even if the bangs were heard on the inside. But when we instinctivey ooked up at Mar cee' s winow above the sheet samming the wind, we were greaty surprised to see that one of the buets had eft a starshaped crack i one of the panes. The window shook, opened, and the shadow appeared a second time. Dumbsruck, as though about to see Mar 27
GEORGES BATALLE
Story of the Eye
cele blee d and fall dead in the windowframe we remained standing under the strange, ne rlY motionless apparition. Because of he furious wind we were incapable of even making ourselves heard "What did you do with your clothes? I asked Simone an instant later She said she had been loong for me and, unable to track me down, she had finally gone to search the interior of t e chteau; but before clambering through the wndow, she had undressed, figuring she "would feel more free. And when she had come back out after me, terrified by me, she found that the wind had c�rried off her dress. Meanwhile, she kept observng Marcelle, and it never crossed her mind to ask me why I was naked. The girl in the winow isappeare. A moment that seemed immense crawled by: she switched on the light in her room. Finally, she came back to breathe the open air and gze at the ocean. Her sleek, palli hair was caught in the wind, we could make out her features: she had not changed, b ut now there was something wil in her eyes, something restless, contrasting with the still chillike simplicity of her features. She looked thirteen rather than sixteen. Un der her nightgown we coul d distinguish her thin but full body, firm u ob trusive, and as beautiful as her fe stare. When she finally caught sight of us, the sur . prse seemed to restore life to her face. She called, but we couldn't hear. We beckoned. She blushed up to her ears. Simone, weeping almost, while lov
ingly caresse her forehea, sent her ksses, to which she responded without smiling. Next, Simone ran her han own her belly to her beaver. Marcelle imitate her, an poising one foot on the sill, she exposed a leg sheathed in a white silk stocking almost up to her blond cunt. Curiously, she was wearing a white belt and white stockings, whereas blackhaired Simone, whose cunt was in my hand, was wearing a black belt and black stockings. Meanwhile, the two girls were jerking off with terse, brusque gestures, face to face in the howling night. They were nearly motionless, and tense, an their eyes gaped with unrestrained joy. But soon, some invsible monstrosity appeared to be yanking Marcelle away from the bars, though her left han clutche them with all her might. We saw her tumble back into her delirium. And all that remaine d before us was an e mpty, glowing window, a rectangular hole piercing the opaque night, showing our aching eyes a world composed of lightning and dawn.
�
28
29
tor of th
CAPER FIVE
A ickle of Bloo
Ure s deeply assocated for me wt salt peter; ad lgtg, I dont kow why, wt an atque camber pot of uglazed earteware, lyg abadoned oe ray autum day o te znc r oof of a provcal was ouse Sce tat frst gt at te satarum, tose wrecg mages were closely kt, te obscurest part of my bra, wth te cut ad te draw ad dsmal expresso I ad sometmes caugt o Marcelles face But te, ts caotc and dreadful landscape of my magato was suddenly udated by a 30
stream of lgt ad blood, for Marcelle could clmax only by drenchng herself, ot wth blood, but wt a spu rt of ure tat was lmpd a d eve llumated for me, at frst volet and jerky lke ccups, te free ad relaxed ad cocdng wt a outburst of superhuma appess It s ot astosg ta te bleakest ad most leprous aspects of a dream are merely a urgg that drecto, an obstate watg for total joy, lke te vso of that glowg ole, te empty wdow, for example, at te very momet wen Marcelle lay sprawlg o te foor , edlessly udatg t But tat day, te raless tempest, Smoe ad I, our clotg lost, were forced to leave te cteau, fleeg lke amals troug te ostle darkess, our m agatos auted by the despodency tat was boud to take old of Mar celle aga, makg te wretched mate almost a embodmet of the fury ad terror that kept drvg our bodes to edless debaucery We soo foud our bcycles ad coul d offer oe aoter the rrtatg ad teoretcally uclea sgt of a aked toug sod body o a mache We pedalled rapdly, wtout laugg or speakg, pecularly satsfed wt our m utual preseces, ak to one aoter te commo solato of lewd ess, wearess, ad absurdty et we were bot lterally persg of fatgue In the mddle of a slope, Smoe alted, sayg se ad te svers Our faces, backs, and 31
GOGS BATALL
t the e
s w b in sw n hns vr n nhr ur sk n bunin bis; spi m n m vrus mss fs n cin h. I spp ff n f hr sckins wip r by rcn h b s f sicknss r bucry. Li b m bb s n ps s kn f riu I ws s xmy i. n m kmrs w bViusy h c X by wn. I cu by kp upri n spir f v cn n f is ri u mpssb. h bnn h w f ss pp ws ry s m s sm ms byn rc. Our prsn ucinn nw vp s bunssy s pps a nim f umn scy mspr. A lr s cun Smns br cun wch ws invbly j rk by s pum pn up n wn n h spnnin ps. Fum w vnis nfniy my ys n ny n bicyc frk bu vruy in cvc f h cycs's nk ss pi win f usy r ws s rcy cmprb b irs in my r nd my cn
wich ulmy plun in ps f h cun sckn h bcyc s. Th wn h i wn smw ws vsb An i suck m h ws h s ucm f my rcin k sn vsn ws cn b pc by pur ss zn n c s us my sxu lcniusnss mc ncns cnc mn r hins if n fuurin. Y cncn f prln s f xusn n n bsu iiy f my pnis. w ws ffcu fr Smn s s riy bcus f h rknss swf rsn f my f sffnss b urnn h p . Y I f I cu s ys sny pn f my b y m n m vhmny n s pinc bwn r bucks. Lik mysf s n y rin mps vk by smssnss f cun usk mns; sh ws y n wy by jy n hr nu by ws hu upn n mbnk mn wih n wful scpn f s n pbbs
32
33
GEORGES BATALLE
and a piecing shie found her inert, he head hanging down, a thin tricle of blood runnng from the corner of her mouth Horrifed to the lmit of my strength, pulled up one arm, but it fell bac inert thew myself upon the lifeless body, trebling wth fear, and as clutched it in an embace, was overcome with bloody spasms, my lower p drooling and my teeth baed le a leeng moron Meanwhile, Simone was slowly coming to: her arm touched me in an nvoluntay movement, and quicy etuned fom the topo ovewhelming me after I had besm iched what thought was a copse No injuy, no buise marked the body, which was still clad in the gater belt and a single stocng I too he in my ams and caied her down the oad, heedless of my fatigue; waled as fast as could because the day was just beaing, but only a supehuman effort allowed me to reach the villa and happ ily put my marvelous friend alive in her vey own bed The sweat was pissing from my face and all ove my body, my eyes wee bloody and swollen, my eas screeching, m y teeth chatteing, my temples an d my heat dumming away But since I had j ust escued the peson loved most in the wold, and since thought we would soon be seeing Mar celle, I lay down next to Simone's body just as was, soaed and full of coagulated dust, and soon I difted off into vague nightmaes 34
CAPTR SIX
Smone
One of the most peace ful eras of my life was ent, the perio d following Simo ne's min or accid , came other which only left her ill. Wheever her m too I I would step in to the bathroom. U sually, bathe ; advantage o f these m omen ts to piss o r even was she r, ente to the first time the wom a tried imme diately stopped b y her daughter: "Don 't go in , she said, "there's a naked man in there . "
Each time , however, the mother was displace missed before long, and I would take my 35
Story of the Eye
GEORGES BATAILLE
agai i a chair xt to th sickbd. I smokd cigarettes, wet through ewspaprs, ad if there wr ay itms about crim or violce, I would read thm aloud. From time to time, I would carry a fevrish Simo to th bathroom to help hr p ad the I would carfully wash hr o th bidt Sh was xtrmly wak ad aturally I ever strokd hr seriously; but vrthless she soo delighted i havig m throw eggs it th toilt bowl, hard-boild ggs, which sank, ad shells sucked ut i v rious degres to obtai varyig lvls of mmro. She would sit for a log tim gazig at th ggs. The sh would sttl o th toilt to viw thm udr hr cut betwe the partd thighs; ad fially, she would have m flush th bowl. Anothr gam was to crack a frsh gg on th dg of the bidet ad empty it udr her: somtims she would piss o it, sometims sh had m strip akd ad swallow the raw gg from the bottom of the bidt. Sh did promis that as soo as sh was wll agai, she would do th same for m ad also for Marcll.
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At that time, w imagied Marcell , with her drss tuckd up, but her body covered ad hr fet shod w would put hr i a bath tub filld with frsh eggs, ad sh would p e whil crushig them Simo also daydramd about my holdig Mar clle, this tim with othig o but her gartr-blt ad stockigs, hr cut aloft, hr lgs bt, ad
hr head dow; Simoe hrself, i a bathrob drched in hot water ad thus cligig to hr body but xposig hr bosom, would th get up o a white ena mele d chair with a cork sat I would arous hr brasts from a distac by liftig th tips o the heatd barrl of a log srvice rvolver that had be loadd ad just fird first of all, this would shak us up, ad scodly, it would give th barrl a pugt smll of powdr . At th same time, sh would pour a jar of dazzlig whit crme frache o Marcll's gray anus, ad she would also uriat frly i her rob or, if th robe wre ajar, o Marcelle's back or head, whil I could piss o Marcell from th othr sid I would crtaily piss o hr brasts Furthermore, Marcell herslf could full iudat m if sh likd, for whil I hld hr up, her thighs would be grippig my ck. Ad sh could also stick my cock i hr mouth, ad what ot. It was after such drams that Simo would ask m to bd hr dow o blakts by the toilt, ad sh would rst hr had o th rim o f th bowl ad fix hr wide eyes o th white eggs. I myslf settld comfortably ext to her so that our chks ad templs might touch. W wr calmd by th log cotmplatio. The gulpig gurgl of th flushig watr always amus d Simo , makig hr forgt hr obsessio ad ultimatly rstorig her high spirits.
( )
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At last, o day at six, wh th obiqu 37
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GEORGES BATALLE
tory of the ye
sushe was dectl lghtg the bathoom, a halfsucke d egg was suddel y vaded by the wate, ad afte fllg up wth a bzae nose, t was shpwecked befoe ou vey eyes Ths cdet was so extaodaly meangful to Smoe that he body tauteed and she had a lon g clmax, vtually dkg m left ee betwee he lps The, wthout leavg the ee, whch was sucked as obst atel as a beast, she sat dow, wechg m head towad he o the seat, ad she pssed osly on the bobbg eggs wth total vgo ad satsfacton As of ow she could be egaded as cued, ad she demostated he joy b speakng to me at legth about vaous tmate thngs, wheeas odnal she eve spoke abot heself o me Smlg, she admtted that a stat ago, she had felt a stog uge to eleve hesel com pletel, but had held back fo the sake of geate pleasue Tul, the uge bloated he bell ad patculaly made he cun t swell up lke a pe fut; and when passed m had ude the sheets ad he cut gpped t fm ad tght, she emaked that she was stll the same state ad that t was odnatel pleasat Upo m askng what te wod urinate emded he of, she epled: terminate, the ees, wth a azo, somethg ed, the su Ad egg? A calf's ee, because of the colo of the head the calf's head) ad also because the whte of the egg was the whte of the ee, and the yolk the eeball The eye, she sad, was eggshaped She asked me to pomse that whe we could go outdoos, I would
flg eggs to the su a ad beak them wth shots fom my gu, and whe epled that t was out of the questo, she talked o ad o, tg to easo n me n to t She pla ed gal wth wods, speakg about broken eggs, ad the broken eyes and he agumets became moe ad moe ueasoable She added that, fo he, the smell of the ass was the smell of powde, a jet of ue a "gunshot seen as a lght; each of he buttocks was a peeled hadboled egg We ageed to sed fo hot softboled eggs wthout shells, fo the tolet, ad she pomsed that whe she ow sat on the seat, she would ease he self full o those eggs He cunt was stll my hand ad the state she had descbed; ad afte he pomse , a stom bega bewg lttle by lttle my nemost depth was eflectg moe and moe t s fa to sa that the o om of a bed dde nvald sj ust the ght place fo gaduall edscov eng chldhood lewdess I getly sucked Smoe's beast whle watng fo the softboled eggs, ad she a he fges though m ha He mothe was the oe who bought us the eggs, but I dd't eve tu aoud, assumed t was a mad, ad kept o suckg the beast cotetedl No was ultmatel dstubed whe ecogzed the voce, but sce she emaed ad I could't pass up even oe stat of my pleasue, I thought of pullg down m pats as fo a call of atue, not osteta tousl, but meel hopg she would leave ad
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GEORGES BATALLE
delghed a gong beyond all lms When she fnally decded o walk ou and vanly ponder over her dsmay elsewhere erng bahroom Smone seled on he oe each ae one of he ho eggs wh sal Wh he hree ha were l ef ng hem beween her buocks and hghs slowly dropped hem no he waer one by one Fnaly whe seeng hem peeled her beauful cun) son wh a ploppng nose akn o ha of he sofboled eggs Bu I ough o say ha nohng of he sor ever happen ed beween us agan exception no furher eggs ever came up n our conversaons; neverheless noce one or more when our eyes me n a slen and murky nerrogaon A any rae hs ale ha hs whou an answer ndefnely hs unexpeced answer s necessary for measurng he mmensy of he vod ha yawned before us whou our knowledge anmens wh he eggs
40
an
I
CHAPTE SEVEN
arcelle
af and
By a sor of shared modesy had always avoded alkng abou he mos mpor an objecs of our obsessons Tha was why he word egg was dropped from ou r vocabuary never spoke abou he knd of neres we had n one anoher o us We spen all of Smone's lness n a bed room o Marcele he end of he las class n school alked abou was he day we woud reurn o he 4
GEORGES BATALLE
tory of te ye
chtea I had prepared a smal crd, a thick, kntte rpe, and a hacksaw, al f which Simne examined with the keenest interest, peering attentively at each knt and sectin f the rpe I as managed t find the bicycles, which I had cn cealed in a thicket the day f r tmble, and I meticusly il ed the varius parts the gears, ball bearings, sprckets, etc I then attached a pair f tecips t my wn bicycle s that I cul seat ne f the girls in back Nthing c d be easier, at least fr the time being, than t have Marcelle living in Simnes rm secretly like myself We wld simply be frced t share the bed and we wld inevitaby have t se the same bathtb, etc)
ut ahead beynd the trees nly Marceles windw was still aglw and wide pen Taking sme pebbes frm a lane, we threw them int her chamber and they prmptly summned the girl, wh qickly recgnized us an d beyed u r gestre f putting a finger n ur lips ut f crse we als held p the kntted rpe t let her nderstand what we were ding this time I hurled the crd p t her with the aid f a rck, and she threw it back after lping it arnd a bar There were n difficlties, the big rpe was histed by Marcele and fastened t the bar, and I scrambed al the way p
ut a gd six weeks passed efre Simne cld p edal after me reasnably wel t th e sanitarim Like the previs time, we left at night in fact, I s til kept t f sight dring the day, and this time there was certainly every reasn fr remaining incnspics I was in a hrry t arrive at the place that I dimly regarded as a "haunted castle, due t the assciatin f the wrds sanitarium and castle and als the memry f the phantm sheet and the thught f the unatics in a hge sient dwelling at night t nw, t my srprise, even thgh I was ill at ease anywhere in the wrld, I felt at bttm as if I were ging hme nd that was indeed my impressin when we jmped ver the park wall and saw the hge biding stretching
42
Marcele flinched when I tried t kiss her She merey watched me very attentivey as I started filng away at a bar Since she nly had a bathrbe n, I sftly tld her t get dressed s she cld cme with us She simpy trned her back t pll fleshclred stckings ver her legs, securing them n a belt f bright red ribbns that brught t an ass with a perfect shape and an exceptinay fine skin I cntined filing, bathed in sweat beca se f bth my effrt and what I saw Her back stil twards me, Marcele plled a blse ver ng, flat hips, whse straight lines were admiraby terminated by the ass when she ha ne ft n a chair She did nt slip n any panties, nly a pleated, gray wlen skirt an a sweater with very tiny back, white, and re checks fter stepping int flatheeed shes, she came ver t the windw
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GEORGES BATAILLE
stare at Marcelle. "Bt wh s the Cardnal? Smne asked her. "The man wh lcked me n the wardrbe , sad Marcelle. "Bt why s he a cardnal? I cred She repled "Becase he s the prest f the glltne. I nw recalled Marcelle's dreadfl fear when she left the wardrbe, and pa rtcularly tw detals: had been wearng a blndng red carnval nvelty, a Jacbne lberty cap; frthermre, becase f the deep cts n a grl I had raped, my face, clthes, handsall parts f me were staned wth bld. Ths, n her terrr, Marcelle cnfsed a cardnal, a prest f the glltne, wth the bldsmeared executner wearng a lberty cap: a bzarre verlappng f pety and abmnatn fr prests explaned the cnfusn, whch, fr me, has remaned attached t b th my hard realty and the hrrr cntnally arsed by the cmp lsveness f my actns.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
The Open Eyes of the Deadwoman
Fr a mment, I was ttally helpless after ths unexpected dscvery; and s was Smne. Marcelle was nw half asleep n my arms, s that we ddn't knw wat t d Her dress was pulled p, expsng the gray beaver between red rbbns at the end f lng tghs, and t had thereby becme an extrardnary hallcnatn n a wrld s fral that a mere breath mght have changed us nt lght We ddn't dare budge, and all we desred was fr that nreal mmblty t last as lng as pssble, and fr Marcelle t fall snd asleep. My mnd reeled n sme knd f exhastng 47
GEORGES BAALLE
tor of th
vtgo hav bn f Smn td btwn m s and Macll's nudt nt mad a suddn thgs hold b ak an lng S soakd dss n a long nvulson that full dnudd and pomptl mad m sput a wav f jzm n m lots.
b t owng of a oost o wn stollng un d a sta havn. In gn al sus of t fls onl on ondton tat t b nspd. But as of tn dd not a fo wat s knwn as "plasus of t flsh baus th al a nspd; I ad nl fo what s lassfd as "dt. On th ot and I was not vn satsfd wt t usual dbau baus th onl tng t dts s dbau tslf m an d pft pu s ft ntat b t. M knd of dbau sols nt on m bd and m tougts ous w ml svs as a bakdrp. I assoat th mo on wt t vagnal blo od of m ots knng stn . . . I lovd Macll wtut munng . If s dd f I smtms okd mslf up n a lla fo ous at a tm ps baus I was tnkng about Mall pad to st at all ov agan ng a s s dad tops tat bng m to at tms wn I last xpt t. Otws t ast knshp nw btwn t dad gl and
I stthd ut n th gass lag th mlk wa and avnl un aoss th canal vault fomd b th ng of con stllatons that opn ak at t summt of t sk al vapos shnng n t mmnst n mpt spa w th 's ow n ttal sln) ok t. T nausatng w of a oost n patua condd wth m own lf tat Cadnal dscodant sks h povokd n t wadb and aso bcaus on uts t toats of oosts To ots baus dnt pop av gldd s. Tat s wh th fa lwdnss. T a nv fgtnd
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m boun b
GEORGES BATALLE
Story of the Eye
msef, wi makes most of m das inevitab drear
reature, so simiar to er, oud not fee er an mre The pen ees were mre irritating than anting ese Even wen Simone drenched te fae, tose ees, extrardinaril, did nt lse We were perfet cam, al three f us, and tat was te most peless part of it n boredom in te wrld is linked, for me, to that moment and, above al, to an bstale as ridiulous as deat But tat won't prevent me from tinking bak to tat time wit no revulsion and even wit a sense of ompliit Basiall, te a k of exitemen t made everting far more absurd, and tus Marelle was oser t me dead tan in er ifetime, inasmu as absurd existene, so I imagine, has al te prerogatives s fr the fat tat Simne dared t p iss n te rpse, weter in boredom or, at worst, in irritation it main goes to prove ow impossible it was for us to understand wat was appen ing, a nd of curse, it is n more unde rstandabe tda tan bak ten Simone, being tru incapabe f n eiving deat su as one normal onsiders it, was frigtened and furiU, but in no wa awe struk Marcelle belonged to us so deep in our isolation that we oud not see er as just another orpse Nting abut er deat oud be mea sured b a ommon standard, and te ontraditor impulses overtakng us in tis irumstane neutraized one anoter, eaving us bind and, as it were, ver remote from anting we touhed, in a
wil merel report here tat Marcelle anged erself after a dreadful incident Se recognized te huge bridal wardrbe, and her teeth started attering se instantl realized upon looking at me tat I was the man se aed te Cardinal, and wen se began sriekng, tere was no oter wa for me to stop that desperate wing tan to eave te rom B te time Simone and I returned she was hanging inside te wardrobe I ut te rope, but se was quite dead We aid er out on te arpet Simone saw I was getting a hardon and se started jerking me off too streted out on te carpet It was impossibe t oterwise; Simone was sti a virgin, and I fuked er fr te first time , next t the cor pse It was ver painful for bot of us, but we were gad precisel beause it was painful Simone stood up and gazed at te orpse Marele ad beome a tota stranger, and in fact, so ad Simne at tat moment I no longer ared at all for eiter Simone or Maree Even if someone ad td me it was I wo ad just died, I woud not even ave been astonised, so alien were tese events to me I observed Simone, and, as I preisel real, m onl peasure was in te smutt tings Simone was doing, for te corpse was ver irritating to er, as though se ud nt bear te thougt tat tis
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r GORGS BLL
I
wol whee gestes hae no cang powe, lke voces n a space that s absolutely sounless
CHAPTER NINE
Lewd nm a
To avo the bothe of a polce nvestga ton , we nstantl took off fo Span, whee Smo ne was contng on o sappeang wth the help of a fablosl ch Englshman, who ha offee to sppot he an wol be moe lkely than anyone else to show nteest n o plght The lla was abanone n the mle of the nght We ha no toble stealng a boat, each ng an obsce pont on the Spansh coast, an bnng p the caft wth the a of two ms of gasolne we ha taken along, as a pecatona 53 52
GEORGES BAALL
r f he e
lng tme wthut mvng r spekng, huddled ke le gr, bu wys smber.
fe n he sme wy Bu hese seres f prdgus psses re rre. Thus, ech tme they ccur, they unlese vertble delrum n the ren, nd t s well wn tht t such thrllng nstnts the wmen ek ff by merely rubbng her thghs tgether. Aprps bullfghts, Sr Edmnd nce tld Smne tht untl qute recently, certn vrle Spnrds, mstly ccsnl mteur tedrs, used t sk the creker f the ren t brng them the fresh, rsted blls f ne f the frst bulls t be lled They receved them t ther wn sets, n the frnt rw f the ren, nd te them whle wtchng the kllng f he next few bulls Smne tk keen nterest n ths tle, nd snce we were ttendng the fst mr bullfgh f the yer th Sundy, she begged Sr Edmnd t get her the blls f the frst bul, but dded ne cndtn: they hd t be rw. "I sy, bected Sr Edmnd, "w tever d yu wnt wth rw blls ? u cer tnly dn t ntend t et rw bls nw, d yu? "I wnt t hve them befre me n pte, cncluded Smne.
Sr Edmnd depyed hs ngenuty t pr vdng us wh bscene spectcles t rndm, bu Smne sl preferred bullfghts There were ctuly three thngs but bullfghts th fscnted her: the frst, when the bull cmes hurlng ut f the bulpen ke bg t; the secnd, when s hrns punge ll he wy n the flnk f mre; the thd, when tht ludcrus, rwbned mre glps crss he ren, shng ut unsesnbly nd drggng huge, ve bundle f bwes beween he hghs n the ms dredful wn crs, perly whe, pnk, nd gry. Smnes her t hrbbed fsest when the expdng bdder drpped s mss f mres une n the snd n ne quck plp. She ws n enterhks frm str t fnsh the bullfght, n terr whch f curse mny expessed vlent dese) t he thught f seeng the tredr hurled up by ne f the mnstrus lunges f he hrns when the bu mde ts endless, blndly gng dshes t the vd f cred clths. nd hee s smethng ese I ught t sy: When the bul mkes ts quck, brut, hruss ver nd ver gn n the mtadrs cpe, brely grzng he erect lne f the bdy, ny specr hs tht feelng f tl nd repeted ungng typcl f the gme f cus. The uter nerness f deth s s 56
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Story of the ye celebrated bullkiller had agreed to dine with us the evening of the fight.
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CHAPTER TEN
Gr anero '8 Eye
On May 7, 1922 the toreadors La Rosa, Lalanda, and Granero were to fight in the arena of Madrid; the last two were renowned as the best matadors in Spain, and Granero was generally considered superior to Lalanda He had only just turned twenty, yet he was already extremely popular, being handsome, tall and of a still childlike simplicity. Simone had been deeply interested in his story, and, exceptionally, had shown genuine pleasure when Sir Edmond announced that the 58
Granero stood out from the rest of the mat adors because there was nothing of the butcher about him; he looked more like a very manly prince charming with a pe rfectly elegant figure. In this respect, the matador's costume is quite expressive, for it safeguards the straight line shoot ing up so rgid and erect every time the lunging bu ll grazes the body and because the pants so tightly sheathe the ass. A bright red cloth and a brilliant sword (before the dying bull whose hide steams with sweat and blood) complete the metamorphosis, bringing out the most captivating fea ture of the game One must also bear in mind the typically torrid Spanish sky, which never has the color or harshness one imagines: it isj ust perfectly sunny with a dazzling but mellow sheen, hot, turbid, at times even unreal when the combined intensities of light and heat suggest the freedom of the senses Now this extreme unreality of the solar blaze was so closely attached to everything hap pening to me during the bullfight on May 7, that the only objects I have ever carefully preserved are a round paper fan, half yellow, half blue, that Simone had that day, and a small illustrated bro chure with a description of all the circumstances and a few photographs. Later on, during an embarkment, the small valise containing those two 59
GEOGES BATALLE
ory of the ye
suvenrs tumbld nt te sea, and was fsed ut by an Arab wth a lng ple, wc s wy te bjcts are n suc a bad state. But I need tem t fx tat event t te eartly sl, t a gegraphc pnt and a precse date, an event that my mag natn cmpulsvely pctures as a smple vsn f slar delquescence.
least equal t mine, and she refused t sit dwn agan wen te ntermnable acclamatn fr the yung man was ver. Se tk my and wrdlssly and led me t an uter curtyard f te flthy arena, were te stenc f equne and human urne was suffcatng because f te great eat. I grabbed Smnes cunt, and se sezed my furus cck trug my pants . We stepped nt a stnkng sthuse, were srdd fles wrled abut n a sunbeam. Standng re, I expsed Smnes cunt, and nt er bldred, slbbery fles I stuck my fngers, ten my pens, wch entered tat cavern f bld wle I jerked f er ass, trustng my bny mddl fnger deep nsde. At te same tme, te revlts f ur muts cleaved tgeter n a strm f saiva. A bulls rgasm s nt mre pwerful tan te ne tat wrenched trug ur lns t tear us t sreds, tug wtut sakng my tck pens ut f tat stuffed vulva, wc was grged with cme.
Te frst bull, te ne wse raw balls Smne lked frward t avng served n a plate, was a knd f black mnster, w zmed ut f the pen s quckly tat despte all effrts and ll suts, e dsembweled tree hrses n a rw befre an rderly fgt culd take place ; ne rse and rder were urled alft tgeter, ludly cras ing dwn beind te rns. But wen Granr facd te bull, te cmbat was launced wth br, prceedng amd a frenzy f cheers. Te yung man sent te furus beast racng arund m n s pnk cape; eac tme, s bdy was lfted by a srt f spralng jet, and e just barely eluded a frgtful mpact. In te end, t death te slar mnster was perfrmed cleanly, wt t beast blnded by a scrap f red clth, the swrd deep n t bldsmeared bdy. An ncredble vatn resunded as te bull staggered t ts knees wt te uncertanty f a drunkard, cllapsd wt ts legs stckng up, and ded. Smn, w sat between Sr Edmnd and myself, wtnessed te killng wt an xhleratn at
Our arts were stll bmng n ur chsts, wc were equally burnng a nd equally lustng t press stark naked aganst wet unslaked ands, and Smne s cunt was stll as greedy as befre and my cck stubbrnly rgd, as we returned t the frst rw f te arena. But when we arrved at ur places next t Sr Edmnd, tere, n brad sunlgt, n Smnes seat, lay a wte ds cntanng tw peeled balls, glands te sze and shape f eggs, and
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GEGES BATALLE
toy o the ye
of a pearly wieess, faiy bloodso, like e gobe o f a eye ey ad jus bee n removed from e firs bull, a backhaired creaure, io wose body Granero ad punged is sword "Here are e raw bals, Sir Edmod said o Simone in a ig Briis acce Simoe was aready kneeig before e plae, peerig a i i absorbed ineres, bu also in a uwoed quadary Apparely se waned o do someig bu did' kow ow o go abou i, wic exasperaed er I picked up e dis o le er si dow, b u se grabbed i away from me wi a caegorica "o ad reured i o e soe sea
say a e fig ad become borig, upuga cious buls were facig maadors wo did' know wa o do ex; a d o op i off, si ce Simoe ad demanded seas i e su, we were rapped i someig like a immense vapor of lig and muggy ea, wic parced our roas as i bore dow upo us I realy was oaly ou of e quesio for Simoe o if er dress ad pace er bare behid i he dis of raw bals All she could do was od he dis in er ap I old er I woud like o fuck er again before Graero reured o fig e four bul, bu se refused, ad se sa ere, keey ivoved, despie everyig, i e disembowmes of orses, followed, as se cildisy pu i, by "loss and oise, amely e caaract of bowels Lie by lile, e sun's radiace sucked us io a urealiy a fied our malaisee wordess and powerless desire to explode and kick up our asses We grimaced, because o ur eyes were blided ad because we were irsy, our seses ruffled, and ere was o possibiliy of quecig our desires We ree ad managed o share i e morose dis souio a leaves o armoy bewee e various spasms of e body We were so far gone a eve Graero's reur could o pul us ou of a supeing absorpion Besides, e bull opposie im was disrusfu ad seemed uresponsive; e comba we on jus as dreariy as before
Sir Edm od ad I were growg aoyed a beig e focus of our eigbors' aeio jus we e bullfig was slackenig I eaed over ad wispered o Simoe, asking wa ad goe io er "Id io ! se replied "Ca' you see I wa o si on e pae, ad a ese people wacig! "Ta's absoluey ou of e quesio, I rejoied, "si dow A e same ime, I ook away e dis ad made er si, ad I sared a her o le er kow a I udersood, a I remembered e dis of mik, ad a is reewed desire was useling me From a mome o, eier of us coud keep from fidgeing, and is sae of maaise was coagious eoug o affec Sir Edmod I oug o 62
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GEORGE BTILLE
The events that followed were witout tran sition or connection, not because they weren't actually related, but because my attention was so absent as to remain absolutely dissociated In just a few seconds: first, Sim one bit into one of the raw balls, to my dismay; then Granero advanced towards the bull, waving his scarlet cloth; finally, almost at once, Simone, with a bloodred face and a suffocating lewdness, uncovered her long wite thighs up to her moist vulva, into whch she slowly and surely fitted the second pale globule Granero was thrown back by the bull and wedged against the balustrade; the horns struck the balustrade three times at full speed; at the third blow, one horn plunged into the right eye and through the ead A shriek of unmeasured horror coin cided with a brief orgasm for Simone, who was lifted up from the stone seat only to be flung back with a bleeding nose, under a blindng sun; men instantly rushed ov er to haul away Granero's bo dy, the right eye dangling from te head
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I
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Under the Sun of Seville
Thus, two globes of equal size and consis tency had suddenly been propelled n opposite directions at once One, the white ball of the bull, had been thrust into the "pnk and dark cunt that Simone had bared in te crowd; the other, a human eye, had spurte d from Granero's head with the same force as a bundle of innards from a belly This coincidence, tied to death and to a sort of urinary liquefaction of the sky, first brought us back to Marcelle in a m oment that was so brief and almost insubstantial, yet so uneasily vivid that 65
GEORGES BATAILLE
Story of the Eye
stepped fowad like a sleepwalke as toug about to touc her at eye leve. Needess t say, eveything was pmpty back t n ma, thgh with blinding obsessins in the hou afte Ganeo's death. Simne was in such a fo md that she td Si Edmnd she wdn't spend anothe day in Madid; she was vey anxis t see Sevie because f its eputatin as a city f pleasue. Si Edm nd to ok a heady delght in satisying the wims f "the simplest and mst angeic ceatue eve t wak te eath, and so the next day he accmpanied s to Seville, whee we found an even moe iquefying heat and igt tan in Madid. A avish abundance of fwes in the steets, geaniums and ose laues, helped to put ou senses n edge. Simone walked abut naked nde a white dess that was fimsy enugh t hint at the ed gatebelt ndeneath, and, in cetain positions, even at he beave. F themoe, eveyting in ths city contibuted to making he adiate such sensuaity tat wen we passed though the toid steets, I often saw the ccks stand up in touses. Indeed, we vitually neve stpped aving sex. We avoided ogasms and we went sigtseeing, fo tis was te only way t keep fom aving my penis endlessly immesed in he fu. But we did take advantage o f any oppo tunities wen we wee out. We wuld eave one convenient place with neve any goal but to find anote ike it. n empty
museum rom, a staiway, a gaden pat ined wit igh bses, an pen cch, deseted alleys in te eveningswe waked unti we found the ight pace, and te instant we fund it, I wod open the gils' body by lifting one f e egs and soving my cck t the bttom of he cunt in o ne swoop. A few mments late, I woud pul my steaming membe fom its stabe, and ou pomenade woud con tine almost aimessly. Usualy, Si Edmond would folow at a distance in ode to supise us he would tun pple, but e neve came ove. And if he jeked off, e wud do it disceetly, not f caution's sake, of couse, but because he neve did anyting unless standing isoated and almost uttely steady, with a deadful muscula co ntactin.
66
"Tis is a vey inteesting pace, he said ne day n egad t a chuch, "it's the chuch of Don Juan. "S what? eplied Simone. "Stay hee with me, Si Edmond said to me. "And yo, Simne, you ught to go ond this ch uc al by ysef. "What an awfu idea! Nevetheless, hweve awfu the idea, it aoused e ciosity, and she went in by hesef while we waited in the steet. Five minutes ate, Simone eappeaed at te theshold f te cuch. We wee dmbstuck: not ony was se guffawing he ead off, but se 67
GEORGES BATALLE
tory of te ye
couldn speak or sop laughng, so ha, parly by conagon, parly because of he nense lgh, I began laughng as hard as she, and so dd Sr Edmond o a ceran exen "Bloody grl, he sad "Can you explan? By e bye, were laughng rgh over he omb of Don Juan! And laughng even harder, he poned a a large church brass a our fee I was he omb of he churchs founder, who, he gudes clamed, was Don Juan: afer repenng, he had hmself bured under he doorsep so ha he fahful would rudge over s corpse when enerng or leavng h er haun Bu now our wld laugher burs ou agan enfold In our mrh, Smone had lghly pssed down her legs, and a ny rckle of waer had landed on he brass
dows, flerng hrough curans of a brgh red, ransparen creonne The celng was of carved woodwork, he walls were plasered bu encum bered wh relgous gewgaws more or less glded The enre back wall was covered from floor o rafers by an alar and a gan Baroque reable of glded wood he nvolved and conored decoraons conured up Inda, wh deep shadows and golden glows, and he whole alar a frs seemed very myserous and jus rgh for sex A eher sde of he enrance d oor hung wo famous canvases by he paner alds Leal, pcures of decomposng corpses: neresngly, one of he eye sockes was beng gnawed hrough by a ra Ye n all hese hngs, here was nohng funny o be found Que he conrary: he whole place was sumpuous and sensuous, he play of shadows and lgh from he red curans, he cooness and a srong pungen aroma of blossomng oleander, plus he dress sckng o Smones beaver everyhng was urgng me o burs loose and bare ha we cun on he floor, when I sped a par of slk shoes a a co nfessonal: he fee of a penen feale
We noed a furher effec of er accden: he hn dress, beng we, suck o her body, and snce he cloh was now fully ransparen, Smone s aracve belly and hghs were revealed wh parcular lewdness, a dark pach beween he red rb bons of her garer bel "All I can do s go no he church, sad Smone, a b calmer, "ll dry We burs no a large space, where Sr Edmond and I vanly looked for he comcal sgh ha he grl had been unable o explan The room was relavely cool, and he lgh came from wn 68
"I wan o see hem leave, sad Smone She sa down before e, no far from he confessonal, and all I could do was caress her neck, he lne of her har, or her shoulders wh my cock And ha pu her so much on edge ha se 01d me o uck my pens away mmedaely or she 69
GEORGES BATALLE
tory of the ye
woul ub it till shot my loa ha to sit own an mly look at Simons naknss though th soak cloth, at bst in th opn ai, whn sh wan to fan h wt thighs an sh uncoss thm an lift h ss "oull s, sh sai That was why patintly wait fo th ky to th puzz l ft a ath long wait, a vy bau tiful young buntt stpp out of th confssional, h hans fol, h fac pal an naptu: with h ha thown back an h ys whit an vacant, sh slowly as acoss th oom lik an opa ghost. Th was somthing so tuly unxpct about th whol thing that spatly squz my lgs togth to kp fom laughing, whn th oo of th confssional opn: somon s mg, this tim a blon pist, vy young, vy hansom, with a long thin fac an th pal ys of a saint His ams w coss on his chst, an h main on th thshhol of th booth, gazing at a ix point on th ciling as though a clstial appaition w about to hlp him lvitat
want to confss Th pist, still gliing in his cstasy, inicat th confssional with a istant gstu an nt his tabnacl, softly closing th oo without a wo
Th pist thus mov in th sam iction as th woman, an h woul pobably hav vanish in tun without sing anything if Simon, to my gat supis, ha not bought hm up shaply Somthing unblivabl ha occu to h: sh gt th visionay coutously an sai sh 0
1
tory of the ye
CHAPER WELVE
ione's Coession and ir Edond's Mass
. ·1
I
ne can ready magne my supr a wachng Smn e knee dwn by he cabne f he ugubrus cnfessr Whle she cnfessed her sns, I waed, exremey anxs see he ucme f sch an unexpeced acn I assumed hs srdd creaure was gng burs frm hs bh, punce pn he mpus gr, and flageae her I was even geng ready knck he dreadfu phanm dwn and rea hm a few kcs; bu nhng f e sr happened he bh remaned clsed, Smne 72
spke n and n hrugh he ny gred wndw, and ha was al I was exchangng sharpy nerrgave ks wh Sr Edmnd when hngs began grw cear: Smne was slwly scrachng her hgh, mvng her legs apar keepng ne knee n he prayer sl, she shfed ne f he flr, and she was expsng mre and m re f her egs ver her sckngs whle sl murmurng her cfessn A mes she even seem ed be je rkng ff I sfy drew up a he sde ry and see wha was happenng: Smne realy was jerkng ff, he ef par f her face was pressed agans he grle near he pres's head, her lmbs ensed, her hghs splayed, her fngers rummagng deep n he fu; I was able uch her, I bared he cun fr an nsan A ha m me, I dsncy heard her say: "Faher, I sl have n cnfessed he wrs s f al A few secnds f slence "Te wrs sn f all s very smpy ha I'm jerkng ff whle alkg yu Mre secnds f whsperng nsde, and fnay alms alud: "If yu d' beleve me, I ca shw yu And ndeed, Smne sd up ad spread ne gh befre he eye f he wndw whe je rkng ff wh a quck, sure had "kay, pres, cred Smne, bangg away a he cfessna, "wha are yu dng yur 73
GEOGES BATALLE
ory of he ye
abandn h wrch f an in san "Lk, h xplaind Simn, "h ucharisic hss in h cibrium, and hr h chalic whr hy pu whi win "Thy smll lik cm, said Simn, sniffing h unlavnd wafrs "Pcisly, cninud Si Edmnd "Th hss, as u s, a nhing hr han Chriss sprm in h fm f small whi biscuis And as f h win hy pu in h chalic, h cclsias ics say i is h bloo f Chis, bu hy a bViusly misakn If hy rally hugh i was h bld, hy wuld us re win, bu sinc hy mply nly white win, hy a shwing ha a h bm f hi hars hy a qui awa ha his is urin Th lucidiy f his lgic was s cnvincing ha Simn an d I rquird n fuhr xplanain Sh, armd wi h chalic and wih h cibium, h w f us machd v Dn Aminad, wh was sill in in his armchai, fainly agiad by a sligh quiv hrugh his bdy
And sh suck his fac again wih h chalic, bu a h sam im sh srippd nak d bfr him and I fingfuckd hr Si Edmnds gaz, fixd n h sunnd ys f h yung clic, was s impius ha h hing wn ff wih baly any hich; Dn Aminad nisily purd his uin in h chalic, which Simn hld undr his hick cck "And nw, dink, cmmandd Si Edmnd Th paralyzd wch drank wih a wlln igh filhy csasy a n lng glunus draf Again Simn suckd and jkd him h cninud guzzling ragically and vling in i Wih a dmn d gsu, h bashd h sacd chambp agains a wall Fu bus arms lifd him up and, wih pn highs, his bdy c, and ylling lik a pig bing slaughrd, h spurd his cm n h hss in h cibrium, which Simn hld in frn f him whl jrking him ff
Simn b gan by slamming h bas f h chalic agains his skull, which jld him and lf him urly dazd Thn sh rsumd sucking him, which pvkd his ignbl rals Afr binging his snss a high f fuy wih Sir Edmnds hlp and min, sh gav him a had shak "Thas n all, sh said in a vic ha bkd n ply "Is im piss 76
77
tory of the ye
H dppd th swin and h cashd t th fl Si Edmnd animatd by th sam dtminatin with an incdibl xcitmnt and lVity Th pist lay th with a limp cck int th fl with ag and sham Nw that his balls w daind him in all its h H audibly sighd: "Oh misabl sacilgs " And th incmphnsibl lamnts Si Edmnd nudgd him with his ft; th
mnst lapd up and dw back such ludicus fuy that w bust ut laughing "Gt n yu ft him "yu' "Wtchs Dn Aminad thatnd in a chking vic gatt "But yu a fgtting that is yu jizm bsvd Si Edmnd A fcius gimac a cnd bast t But yu th fist "P fl yu think I am ging t lt yu wait that lng? First!" Th imbcil gapd dumbstuck at th Eng lishman: an xtmly silly xpssin datd acss his handsm fac Smthing lik an absud jy bgan t pn his m uth ams v his nakd chst and finally gazd at us with cstatic ys "Matydm h uttd in a vic that was suddnly fbl and yt t ut lik a sb "Matydm A biza hp f puificatin had cm t th wtch ys "Fist I am ging t tll yu a sty Edmnd said t him sdatly "Yu kw that mn wh a hangd gattd hav such stiff ccks th instant thi spiatin is cut ff jaculat Yu a ging t hav th plasu f bing matyd whil fucking this gil
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CAPTER TIRTEE
The Legs of the Fy
GEORGES BATALLE
Story of the Eye
moioless, is back o e wall; we cold ea e fly fliing ove e copse. "Si Edmond, se said, rbbig e ceek gely o is solde, " wan yo o do someig. " sa do anying yo like, e repied. Se made me come ove o e copse: se knel down and compleey opened e eye a e fly ad peced o. "Do yo see e eye? se asked me . "Well? "Is an egg, se conclded in a l simpliciy. "Okay, ged er, exemely disbed, "wa ae yo geig a? " wa o play wi is eye. "Wa do yo mea? "Lise, Sir Edmod, se finally le i o, "yo ms give me is eye a once, ear i o a oce, I wa i! Si Edmod was always pokerfaced excep we e ed pple. Nor did e ba a eyelas ow b e bood did soo o is face. He removed a pai of fine scissors fom is walle, knel dow, en imbly inser ed e fnges of is lef ad io e socke ad dew o e eye, wile is rig ad sipped e obsiae ligames. Nex, e peseed e small wis eyeball i a ad eddeed wi blood.
ook i i e ad, compleely disag ye se ad no qalms, and insanly amsed erself by fondlig e dep of e igs ad iseig is appaeny flid objec. Te caess of e eye over e ski is so ely, so exaodiaily gele, ad e sesaion is so bizare a i as someing of a oose's orible cowig. Simoe meanwile amsed eself by sip ping e eye ino e pofod cevice of e ass, ad afer lying down o e back ad aisig e legs ad ass, se ried o keep e eye ee simply by sqeezig e bocks ogeer. B all a o nce, i zoomed o like a pi sqoosed fom a cery, ad dropped o e i belly of e copse, a ic o so from e cock.
Simone gazed a e absdiy ad finally
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In e meaime, I ad le Sir Edmod ndess me , so a I co ld ponce sak aked on e crcing body of e gil; my eire cock va ised a one lge io e aiy crevice, ad I fcked e ard wile Si Edmod played wi e eye, rolling i, i beween e conorions of o bodies, on e ski of o bellies ad beass. Fo an isan, e eye was apped bewee o navels. "P i i my ass, Si Edmod, Simoe soed. Ad Sir Edmod delicaely glided e eye beween e bocks B fially, Simoe lef me, gabbed e beaifl eyeball from e ads of e all Eg
83
GEORGES BATALLE
tory of the ye
lishman, and with a staid and gua pssu fom h hands, sh slid it into h slobby flsh, in th midst of th fu nd thn sh pomptly dw m ov, cltching my nck btwn h ams and smashing h lips on min so focflly that cli maxd withot toching h and my com shot all ov h fu Now stood p and, whil Simon lay on h sid, dw h thighs apat, and found myslf facing somthing imagin had bn waiting fo in th sam way that a guillo tin waits o a nck to slic vn flt as if my ys w blging fom my had, ctil with hoo; in Simone's haiy vag ina, saw th wan blu y of Marcelle gazing at m though tas of in. Staks of com in th staming hai hlpd giv that damy vision a dis astous sadnss hld th thighs opn whil Simon was convulsd by th uinay spasm, and th bning uin stamd ot fom nd th y down to th thighs blow . o hos lat, Si Edmond and w spoting fals black bads, and Simon was bdi znd in a hug, idiculous black hat with yllow flows and a long c loth dss ik a nol gil fom th povincs. n this gtp, w ntd a ca and lft Svill. Hug valiss allowd s to chang o psonalitis at vy lg of th jouny in od to otwit th polic invstigation Si Edmond vincd a humoous ingnui ty in ths cicumstancs: ths w machd down th main stt of th small town of Ronda, h and dssd as Spanish pists,
waing th small haiy flt hats and pistly cloaks, and manfuly puffing on big cigas; as fo Simon who was walking btwn s in th cos tum o a Svill sminaist, sh lookd mo anglic than v. n this way, w kpt disappaing all thogh ndalia, a conty of yllow ath and yllow sky, to my ys an immns chamb pot floodd with sn light, wh ach day, as a nw chaact, apd a likwis tansfomd Simon, spcially towads noon, on th gond an d in th lazing sun, und th ddish ys of Si Edmond. n th foth day, at Gibalta, th Eng ishman p uchasd a yacht, and w st sail towads nw advnts with a cw of Ngos.
84
85
I I
Pat To
COINCIDNC
While comp osing this partly imaginary tle , I was struck by several coincidences, and since they appeared indirectly to bring out the m eaning of what I have written, I would like to describe them. I began writing with no precise goal, animated chiefly by a desire to forge, a eas for the time being, the things I can be or do personally. Thus, at first, I tho ught that the character speaking in the first person had no relation to me. But then one day I was looking through an American maga zine filled with photographs of European andscapes, and I chanced upon two astonishing pic tures: the first was a street in the practically unknown village from which my family comes; the second, the nearby ruins of a medieval fortified castle on a crag in the mountain. I promptly recaled an episode in my ife, connected to those ruins. At he time , I was twentyone ; vacationing in the vilage that summer, I decided one evening to go to the ruins that same night, and did so immedi atey, accompanied by several perfecty chase girs 89
tory of the ye
GEORGES BAALE
and, as a chapron, my mothr. I was n lov wth on of th grls, and sh shard my flngs , yt w had nvr spokn to on anothr bcas sh blvd sh had a rlgos callng, which sh wantd to xamin n all lbrty. ftr walking for som on and half hors, w arrvd at th foot of th castl arond tn or lvn in a rathr gloomy nght. W had startd clmbng th rocky montan wth ts ttrly romantic wall, whn a wht and thoroghly lmnos ghost lapt forth from a dp cavty n th rocks and barrd or way. It was so xtraordinary that on girl and my mothr fll back togthr, and th othrs lt ot prcng shrks. I myslf flt a sddn trror, which stifld my voc, and so it took m a fw sconds bfor I cold hrl som thrats, which wr nintlligibl to th phantom, vn thogh I was crtan from th vry bgnn ing that it was all a hoa. Th p han tom dd fl th momnt h saw m strding towards hm, and I ddnt lt him ot of my sight ntl I rcognizd my old r brothr, who had bikd p with anothr boy. Waring a sht, h had sccdd in scarng s by poppng ot ndr th sddn ray of an actyln lantrn Th day I fond th photograph n th magazn, I had jst finshd th sht pisod n th story, and I notcd that I kpt sng th sht at th lft, jst as th shtd ghost had appard at th lft, and I ralzd thr was a prfct concidnc of mags tid to analogos phavals Indd, I hav rarly bn as dmbfondd as at 90
th apparton of th fals phantom I was very astonsh ed at havng unknowngly substt uted a perfectly obscen e mage for a vson a parent ly devod o f any sexual m plcaton Stll , I would soon have cause for even greater
astonshmnt
I had already thought out all the etals of the scene n the Sevlle vestry, especally the nc son n the priest's socket and the plucking of hs eye, when, realz ng the knshp betwee n the story and my own lfe , I amused myself by ntrodu cng the descrpt on of a tragic bullfght that I had actually wtnes sed Oddly en ough, I drew no connec ton between th e two ep sodes u ntl I d d a precse descrip tion of the inj ury inflcted on Manuel Graner o (a real person ) by the b ull ; b ut the momen t I reache d ths death scen e, I was totally taken aback. The openng of the prest's eye was not, as I had believed , a gratutous n venton I was merely transfer ng, to a dfferent per son , an image that had most likely led a very profou nd lfe If I devise d the busness about snppin g out the prests eye, t was because I had seen a b ull's horn tear out a matadors eye. Thus, precsely the two mages that pro bably m ost upset m e had s prung from the darkest corner of my memoryand n a scarcel y recogn zable shape as soon as I gave myself over to lewd reams.
t no soonr did I raliz this (I had jst 91
GEORGES BATAILLE
sed orryg e bllg o My 7 ) I vsed red o me, wo s docor I red e descro o m, b ws o e sme orm s ow Never vg see e sked blls o bll, I ssmed ey were e sme brg red color s e erec cock o e ml, d ws ow ey were deced e rs dr. e ere Story of the Eye ws wove my md o o wo ce d closely ssoced obsessos, eggs d eyes, b evereless, I d revosly regrded e blls o e bll s deede o cycle Ye we I sed redg o m, my red remrked I d bsolely o de o w e glds I ws wrg bo were rely lke, d e romly red lod deled descro omcl exbook. I s lered m or ml blls re eggsed nd look e sme s eyebll Ts me, I vered o exl sc exrordry relos by ssmg rood rego o my md, were cer mges cocde, e elemery oes, e completely obscene oes, .e , e mos scdlos, recsely ose o wc e coscos os deely, ble o edre em wo exloso or berro However, o locg s brekig po o e cosco s or, yo wll, e vore plce o sexl devo, cer qe dere ersonl memores were qckly ssoced w some rrowg mges ha hd emerged drng n ob 92
Sory of he Eye
scene composo We I ws bor, my er ws serg rom generl rlyss, d e ws lredy bld we e coceved me ; o log er my br, s sser dsese conned m o n rmcr. However e very corry o mos mle bb es, wo re i love w her moers, I ws love w my er. Now e ollowg ws coeced o s pryss d bldess. He ws ble o go d re he ole lke mos people sed, e dd o smll coaer hs rmcr, d sce e d o re very oe, e ws embrrassed bo dog ro o me, der blnke, wc, sce e ws bld, he slly plced skew. B e werdes hg ws cer nly he wy e looked wle pssg. nce he co ld no see yng , s pls very reqely oed o sce, sg der e lds, d s hp ened pcrly we e ssed. Frermore, e d ge, evergg eyes lked egle ose nd ose ge eyes we lmos enrely bl k we e ssed, w co mleely spefyg exresso o bado d berro world e loe cold see d h rosed s vgely srdoc d bsen lg (I wold ve ked o recll everyhg ere oce, or stce e errc nre o bnd mns soled lger, d so or). In y cse, e mge o ose we eyes rom me ws drecly lnked, or me, o e mge o eggs, d exls e lmos reglr pernce o re every me eyes 93
GEORGES BATAILLE
Story of th Ey
r es occur in th so After perce iving his kinship eween disinc eeme ns, I was ed discover a fr ther n ess essenial kinship beween he gener a naur e f my sr y and a part icular fac. I was abu fur een when my affe ctin fr my faher rne d in a deep and unco nscios hatr e d. I egan vaguey enj oying his consan shrieks a he lighn ing pains caused y the abes , which ar e cnsi der e d amon g he wr s pains knwn man . Fr her mr e , the fihy, sme y sae which his tta disa emen t fen reduce d him (for insan ce, he some imes eft shi n his pans) was not neary s disagr e eabe to me as I thoug h. Then again , in all things , I adoped the aitudes and opini ns ms r adicay opposed o hose of ha supr e mey nausea ing c r eaur e . One nigh, we wer e awake ned, my mothe r and I, by vehem en w or ds hat he syphilitic was ier ay howing in h is r o om: he had s udden y gon e mad. I wen fr th e d octor, who came immediaey. My father kept e ndlessy and eoqu enty imag in ing the mos utr a geou s and gener ay the happi est events . The docto r had withdr awn to the nex r o m with my moh er and had r e maine d with the bind unaic, when he shr ieked in a stenor ian voice : "Doctor, et me know when you'r e done fucking my wife! For me, hat u ter a nce, which in a spi s econd a nnihi ated the demo r a izing effecs of a str ict upbr i nging , left me with something ike a ,
94
sta obigation, unconscious an uni: h ncssit f fining an quiant ha snnc in an situaion I happn t b in an his arg xpains Sory o the Eye. To comp his sur of h high summis of m prsna scni, I mus a a fina cnncion I ma in rgar Marc I as on o f th ms iscncring, an I i no arri a i uni th r n I is impossib for m sa posii hat Marc s asica inica ih m mohr Such a stamn ou actua b, if n fas, hn a as xaggra Thus Marc is as a fournaro gir h onc sa oppsi m for a quartr f an ho ur a th Caf s ux Mags in Paris onthss, I stil ant to tll about som mmoris ha utima fastn a f pisos unmistakab facs Son aftr m fathr's atack of unac, m mothr, at the end o a vi l scene to which her mo ther subjected her in ront ome suddenly lost her mind too. Sh spn sra months in a crisis of manicprssi insanit ( mancho) Th asur ias of amnaion an catastroph that siz contro of hr irritat m n mor bcaus I as forc o ook aftr hr cninua Sh as in such a ba stat that on night I rm som cansticks ith marb bass frm m room I as afrai sh might ki m hi I spt On th ohr han, hnr I ost patinc, I nt s far as to strik hr, iont 95
GEORGES BATAILLE
twisting r wrists to tr and ring r to r snss. n da, m motr disappard wi or backs wr trnd w ntd r for a ong tim and final fond r hanged in t attic. Howvr, t managd to rviv r sort tim atr, s disappard again, tis tim at nigt I mslf wnt lookng for r, ndssl, aong a crk, wrvr s migt av trid to drown rslf. Rnning witot stopping, trog t darknss, across swamps, at last fond mslf fac to fac wit r she was drenched up to he r belt, the skirt was pissing the creek water, t s ad com ot on r own, and t ic, wintr watr was not vr dp anwa. I nvr lingr ovr sc mmoris, for t av ong sinc ost an motiona significanc for m. Tr was no wa I cold rstor tm to lif xcpt b transforming tm and making t nrcognizabl, at first ganc, to m s, sol bcas dring tat dformation t acqird t lwdst of m anings
96
ar bfor Story of the Eye, I ad writtn a book ntitld we: a small book, a ratr craz pc of writing. we was as gurious as Story of the Eye was juvni. T manuscript of we. was urnt t tat was no loss, considring m prsnt sadnss it was a srik of orror (orror at mslf, not for m dbacr, bt for t pilosopr's ad in wic sinc tn . . ow sad it is! ) . n t otr and, I am as app as vr wit t flmi 97
GEORGES BATAILLE
nating joy of The Eye: nothing can wipe it away Such joy, bordering on naive folly, will forever remain beyond terror, for terror reveals its meaning A drawing for WC. showed an eye the scaf folds eye Solitary, solar, bristling with lashes, it gazed from the lunette of a guillot ine The drawing was named The Eternal Return, and its horrible machine was the crossbeam, gymnastic galows, portico Coming from the horizon, the road to eternity passed through it A parodistic verse, heard in a sketch at the Concert Mayol, supplied the caption
God, how the corpse 's b lood is sad in the deth of sound. Story of the Eye has another reminiscence of W C., which appears on the title page, placing all that follows under the worst of signs The name Lord Auch [pronounced sh] refers to a habit of a friend of mine; when vexed, instead of saying "aux chiottes! [to the shithouse] , he woud shorten it to "aux ch' Lord is English for God (in the Scriptures) Lord Auch is God reieving himself The story is too lively to dwell upon; every creature transfigured by such a place: God sinking into it rejuvenates the heavens To be God, naked, solar, in the rainy night, on a field: red, divinely, manuring with the majesty 98
Story of the Eye
of a tepest, the face grimacing, torn apart, being MPOSSBE in tears who knew, before me, what majesty is? The "eye of the conscience and the "wo ods of j ustice incarnate the eternal return, and is there any more desperate image for remorse? I gave the author of W C. the pseudonym of Troppmann jerked off naked, at night, by my m other's corpse (A few peope, reading Coincidences, wondered whether it did not have the fictional character of the tale itself But, like this Preface, Coincidences has a iteral exacness many people in the vilage of R. could confirm the material ; moreover, some of my friends did read WC) What upset me more was seeing my father shit a great number of times He woud get out of his blind paralytic's bed (my father being both blind and paralytic at once) t was very hard for him to get out of be d ( would hep h im) an d settle on a chamberpot, in his night shirt and, usualy, a cotton nightcap (he had a pointed gray beard, illkempt, a large eagenose, and immense hollow eyes staring into space) At times, the "lightn ingsharp pains would make him howl like a beast, sticng ot his bent leg, which he futilely hugged in his arms My father having conceived me when blind 99
T
GEORGE BATALLE
ory of he ye
absoltly blind cannot tar ot my ys ik dips Lik dips sovd th ridd: no on divind it mor dpy than n Novmbr 6, 1915 in a bombardd town a fw mils from th Grman ins my fathr did in abandonmnt y mothr and had abandond him dring th Grman advanc in gst 194. lft him with th hoskpr Th Grmans occpid h town thn vacatd it cold now rrn: my mothr nabl to bar th thoght of it wnt mad Lat that yar my mothr rcovrd: sh rfsd to lt m go hom to N rcivd occasional lttrs fom my fathr h jst bay antd and avd hn w larnd h was dying my mohr agrd to go with m H did a fw days bfor or arival asking for his childrn: w fond a sad coffin in th bdroom
livd alon going ot sdom by way of th filds avoiding th cntr whr migh hav rn into frinds y fathr an n rligios man d id rfsing to s th prist ring pbrty was nrligios myslf my mothr indiffrnt) Bt wnt to a prist in gst 1914; and nti 1920 arly did lt a wk go by withot confssing my sins n 1920 I changd again stoppd bliving in anything bt my ftr chancs y pity was mrly an attmpt at vasion: wantd to scap my ds tiny at any pric was abandoning my fathr Today know am "blind immasrabl am man "abandon d on th glob lik my fahr at N No on on arth or in havn card abot my fathrs dying tror Still biv h facd p to it as always hat a "horrib prid at momnts in ads blind smil
hn my fathr wnt mad a yar bfor th wa) aftr a halcinating night my mothr snt m to th post offic to dispatch a tlgram rmmbr bing strck with a horribl prid n rot isry ovrwhlmd m intrna irony r plid "So mch horor maks yo prdstind: a fw months arir on fin m oning in cmb r I had informd my pants who wr bsid thmslvs that wold nvr st foot in high schoo again No amont of angr cold chang my mind: 100
[Prfac to Story of the Eye from Le Petit: 1943]
101
