Narcisse on a Tightrope

Narcisse Dièze, a patient with cerebral rheumatism, has been in a psychiatric hospital for seventeen years and has fathered around 171 children. He is suddenly cured and released into the outside world, where he embarks on an adventure of self-discovery.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 120 pages
Publication date: 17 June 2021
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press

For seventeen long years, Narcisse Dièze, a chronic sufferer of a mysterious condition known as cerebral rheumatism, has resided within the protective confines of a psychiatric hospital. Within these walls, he has been attended to by a dedicated team of nurses, whom he has generously sired an approximate count of thirty-five to one hundred seventy-one children. (The exact number remains unknown.) However, abruptly, the doctors make a surprising decision, declaring him cured and urging him to reintegrate into the outside world. Narcisse finds himself taken aback, yet he gradually musters the courage to embark on this new chapter. What follows is a captivating account of his adventures within the realm of what is deemed "sane." A charming misfit reminiscent of characters like Walter Mitty and Forrest Gump, Narcisse is destined to walk a precarious tightrope throughout his existence. Will we witness him stumble and fall? This whimsical fable serves as a poignant critique of prevailing mental health conventions, advocating for a touch of madness in our lives. Presented with an introduction by Warren Motte.

Dimension: 215 x 139 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781628973242