Charles Duits (1925–1991) was a French
writer of the ''
fantastique''.
Overview
Duits was a friend of
André Breton
André Robert Breton (; 19 February 1896 – 28 September 1966) was a French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader, and principal theorist of surrealism. His writings include the first ''Surrealist Manifesto'' (''Manifeste du surréalisme'') o ...
and the
surrealists. He wrote
poetry and experimented with
peyote
The peyote (; ''Lophophora williamsii'' ) is a small, spineless cactus which contains psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. ''Peyote'' is a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl (), meaning "caterpillar cocoon", from a root , "to gl ...
. ''
Thousand and One Nights'' and the Indian ''
Ramayana'' both influenced his work.
As a novelist, Duits, bears comparison with
Gustave Flaubert and with fellow French fantasist
Christia Sylf. ''Ptah Hotep'' (1971) and ''Nefer'' (1978) together comprise a
heroic fantasy take place in an
Earth with two moons, one called Athenade and the other Thana. The novels take place during the time of
Ancient Egypt and the
Roman Empire. ''Ptah Hotep'' is the story of the ascension of a young prince to the rank of the second man of the empire, the duke of Ham. ''Nefer'', which takes place several centuries later, tells of the adventures of a young Egyptian
priest who falls in love with a sacred
prostitute
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
.
The
supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
, as featured discretely in the novels, reflects Duits
spiritual "otherworld". The erotic passages contained within are integrally linked to his mysticism.
Bibliography
* ''Le Pays de l’Éclairement'' (The Land of Illumination) (1967)
English translation : "Peyote Dreams (Journeys in the Land of Illumination)" InnerTradition, 2013
https://www.amazon.fr/Peyote-Dreams-CHARLES-DUITS/dp/1594774498
* ''Ptah Hotep'' (1971)
* ''Les Miférables'' (The Miferables) (1971)
* ''La Conscience Démonique'' (Demonic Consciousness) (1974)
* ''Nefer'' (1978)
* ''Fruit sortant de l’Abîme'' (Fruit From The Abyss) (1993)
External links
*
* The Visionary Art of Charles Duits : https://picpanzee.com/charlesduits_paintings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duits, Charles
French fantasy writers
1991 deaths
1925 births
20th-century French novelists
French male novelists
20th-century French male writers