Review of The Sleep of the Assassins and Other Stories by Damian Murphy

The stories in this collection are some of his most varied work.

Each offering is a succulent delight to read. He is one of the most consistent authors I follow. His work possesses an uncanny depth, always poised between aesthetic acuity and imagistic splendor.

While they are subtly or overtly occult in nature, they do not rely on objectionable material. They are oddly cozy. Old fashioned but in the best sense, like fine liqueur. More at home among Decadent authors like Huysmans, who explored the dark undersurface of the universe in a vivid manner, telling of lives immersed in superlative ideals, yet seeking after something supernal.

Given the intangible concepts often employed as a theme, the stories are surprisingly well-textured and fully realized in terms of scenery, character development and voice. Whether they are cruising on a train or luxuriating in a metaphysical castle, these characters are always entertaining. His writing reminds me often of Gracq’s and Flaubert’s for its careful choice and its focus on the moments of contemplation amid cultural and social abysses. I will never tire of reading this author’s work.