White Man by Shusaku Endo (1955)

This is the story of a psychopath and his war with God. The main character is a young Frenchman of Lyon, who is established at the beginning as a collaborator with the Nazis, and is in fear of the coming invading Allies, though what puzzles me is the date given. It is supposedly 1942. Through a bit of research I see that French North Africa was invaded in 1942, but not mainland France I think. Not sure whether this is an error, or a slice of history of which I'm not aware. As he sits in his little flat contemplating this, he retraces the steps which brought him here. It very quickly becomes obvious that this is also a study in perversion. As an ugly, cross-eyed boy, he witnessed the family's maid, Yvonne, savagely beating a dog in the street, and the sight of her milky white legs enclosing the dog and the violence of the attack pleased him to the extent of beginning the awakening of his sluggish sexuality. How much his psychopathy is the result of parental lack of love (they almost taunt him with his ugliness) and how much of it is innate is I suppose the classic question. It soon develops that he is secretly obsessed with violence, and is also sourly dismissive of any article of faith, regarding it as a stupid delusion. At the same time he is extra-aware of people's notions of God, setting himself up in opposition - "I'll show you, and become an impersonation of Evil to do so" is almost how it seems, giving himself away as an unknowing believer in forms of external agency. On holiday in Aden with his father, he takes the opportunity of being left alone one day to inveigle an Arab boy to a lonely spot and beat him atrociously. Back in Lyon, he becomes entangled with a young student seminarian, who witnesses him in a rage of frustration tearing up the underwear of a female fellow student while she is on the sporting field. There is also a hint that the seminarian either also fancies him, or fancies saving his soul; it's a grey area. Either way, the seminarian soon recognises that he is dangerous and unhinged. He attempts to protect Marie-Therese, the young female student, from his interest, but our fellow is too wily, and manages to get her to succumb with a sob story. He regards it simply as an effort to be made to persuade the seminarian that evil will triumph: "I [evil] will always exist; your goody-goody beliefs can't win!" is the way it goes. We next come across him in the present, in witnessing him as a slowly emerging confederate of the Nazis, taking part in his first torture-sessions at a lonely chateau just outside Lyon; the seminarian and Marie-Therese are the subjects, as they have been assisting the Resistance. The torture is bloody, protracted, but not egregious. The writing in this last part, pulling poetically together all the strands of his character and obsession, is outstanding, even in translation, which is saying something. All in, a stunning novella about vileness, which is completely lacking for me in terms of identification and empathy, and yet, through a cool, intensely well-modulated style, it grips and satisfies.