''Evil Angels'' is a 1981 novel by the French writer

Pascal Bruckner Pascal Bruckner (; born 15 December 1948 in Paris) is a French writer, one of the " New Philosophers" who came to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of his work has been devoted to critiques of French society and culture. Biography Bruckne ...

. The French title is ''Lunes de fiel'', which literally means "moons of

bile Bile (from Latin ''bilis''), also known as gall, is a yellow-green/misty green fluid produced by the liver of most vertebrates that aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In humans, bile is primarily composed of water, is pro ...

", a pun on "lune de miel", "

honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds after their wedding to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase in a couple ...

". The story takes place on a passenger ship heading from Marseille to Istanbul, and focuses on a couple who meet a man determined to break them apart. The book was published by

Éditions du Seuil Éditions du Seuil (), also known as Le Seuil, is a French publishing house established in 1935 by Catholic intellectual Jean Plaquevent (1901–1965), and currently owned by La Martinière Groupe. It owes its name to this goal "The ''seuil'' (th ...

. It was published in English in 1987, translated by William R. Beer. It was adapted into the 1992 film ''

Bitter Moon ''Bitter Moon'' is a 1992 erotic romantic thriller film co-written and directed by Roman Polanski. It stars Peter Coyote, Emmanuelle Seigner, Hugh Grant and Kristin Scott Thomas. The film's French title, ', is a pun on the French phrase "l ...

'', directed by

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...

Reception

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' described the book as "a dreary French novel of existential agony and absurdly serious erotica", and "laughable drivel disguised as a cynical, sophisticated love story". ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' wrote: "The satire is biting and brilliant, proceeding in a tone that is sly and distanced, even philosophical as with the systematic discussion of six general categories of how to humiliate a woman. A bestseller in France, ''Evil Angels'' is a diabolical anatomy of lust in all its ramifications, with a plot that will keep readers enthralled."

References

External links

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's website {{Pascal Bruckner 1981 French novels French novels adapted into films French-language novels Novels by Pascal Bruckner