Moon-madness, and other fantasies

In Short

These vignettes are atmospheric exercises in high-stakes melodrama, centered on protagonists who define their lives through intense fixations—whether on pearls, a specific lover, or the moon itself. The writing is rhythmic, punchy, and deliberately theatrical, favoring sharp contrasts over nuanced psychological realism. The collection serves as a time capsule of a certain Edwardian-era fascination with the "exotic" East and the glamorous decadence of Europe. Its endurance lies in its unashamed commitment to mood and its focus on the volatile, often destructive, nature of desire.

The Story

The collection opens with "Our Lady of Red Lips," where a young American millionaire, Howard Leslie, becomes obsessed with a portrait of a mysterious woman in a Paris shop window. After learning she is the infamous Elise Du Barry, whose previous lovers have all met untimely deaths, he tracks her to Monte Carlo. They meet and begin an affair, but one month later, the world is shocked by the news that Elise has been strangled and Leslie has descended into raving madness, eternally haunted by a mysterious chest wound.

From there, the stories pivot to the allure of material and romantic obsession. In "Paula Loved Pearls," a woman with a mania for jewels travels to India, where she seduces the Rajah of Raboda to gain access to his legendary collection, eventually returning to her husband with a string of pearls and a hollow heart. In "The Dance of the Cobra," a beautiful dancing girl, Lotus Flower, falls in love with a visiting English officer, only to be crushed to death by a cobra during a performance after she learns he is leaving to marry someone else.

The narratives continue to trace these destructive patterns. In "The Painted Mrs. Perry," a young, innocent man enters a two-week affair with an older, artificial woman, finding he loves her precisely because of her painted, mask-like appearance. "Kara the Faithful" details a Ranee’s attempts to seduce her husband’s loyal attendant; when he refuses her, she has him brutally whipped, only to be left with his silent, shattered devotion. In "Betty and Buddha," a woman treats a statue of Buddha as a romantic partner until a real man arrives to supplant the idol. "Mrs. Pepper in Paris" follows a lonely American woman who initially hates the city but finds sudden joy after meeting a gentleman in the Bois de Boulogne. Finally, the title story, "Moon-Madness," depicts Nana Lalla, who despises the sun but finds herself driven into a midnight encounter by the silver light of the moon, ultimately caring nothing for the man who kisses her, as her true devotion is reserved for the lunar glow.

How It Unfolds

The obsession takes hold Each story begins by establishing a character’s defining mania, whether it is a painting, a jewel, or a celestial body. The narrative quickly establishes the stakes, often framing the protagonist’s desire as an overwhelming, almost supernatural force.

The pursuit begins The characters actively chase their objects of desire, moving across continents or into private, ritualized spaces to satisfy their cravings. This phase highlights the distance between the character and their goal, building tension through a series of increasingly intense encounters.

The climax of release The plot reaches a breaking point where the character either secures the object of their obsession or faces a violent, tragic reversal. These scenes are marked by sudden, decisive actions that irrevocably alter the lives of everyone involved.

The hollow aftermath The stories conclude with a stark, often cynical resolution. Whether through death, madness, or mere disillusionment, the characters are left in a state of finality, having either consumed or been consumed by their singular focus.

The People

The characters are archetypes of longing, often lacking internal complexity in favor of a singular, driving motivation. Howard Leslie is the quintessential naive traveler, whose frank blue eyes and wealth make him a target for his own romantic fantasies. Elise Du Barry and Mrs. Perry are the "painted women," figures of artifice who represent a dangerous, worldly sophistication that draws younger men into their orbit.

Paula and the Rajah of Raboda are mirrors of one another, both defined by their avarice and their willingness to discard social convention—or spouses—to possess beauty. Lotus Flower and Kara the Faithful are figures of tragic loyalty, serving masters or ideals that ultimately lead to their ruin. Finally, figures like Betty and Mrs. Pepper represent the restless, bored socialites who curate their lives like stage plays, looking for a thrill in religion or travel to fill the void of their own dissatisfaction. They all end as they began: isolated within the walls of their own desires, unable to form genuine connections that aren't mediated by a symbol or a mask.

In Its Own Voice

The white face seemed to turn to him. The green eyes seemed to look at him. The red lips seemed to smile at him.

Howard Leslie becomes spellbound by a portrait in a shop window, initiating his fatal journey.

The Rajah told Paula of how his ancestors had obtained these pearls from afar. How they had sought for them. How they had fought for them.

The Rajah of Raboda seduces Paula by weaving a history of violence and beauty around his precious collection.

He had looked beyond the blackness of cosmetics. He had looked beyond the whiteness of cosmetics. He had looked in, in, in--to her soul.

Lotus Flower realizes, with a mixture of hope and sorrow, that the English officer sees beneath her performative exterior.

What It's Really About

The book is a study in the dehumanizing power of obsession. It asks whether human beings are capable of loving other people, or if we merely use others as mirrors for our own fantasies and manias. The characters treat lovers, servants, and even gods as stage props, and the author suggests that this performative approach to life leads inevitably to tragedy or emptiness. There is a recurring argument that "passion" is often just a symptom of boredom—a desperate attempt to feel something in a world where everything has become a commodity. The divide between the "natural" and the "artificial" is a constant tension, yet the text frequently concludes that the mask is the reality.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the brisk, slightly lurid pacing of early 20th-century pulp fiction or short-story collections with a dark, romantic edge will find much to appreciate here. The prose is remarkably rhythmic, utilizing repetitive structures to create a hypnotic, almost dreamlike quality that matches the characters' fixations.

However, a modern reader must be prepared for the period-specific attitudes, particularly regarding the depiction of non-Western cultures, which are often reduced to backdrops of "exotic" danger or mystery. The characters are intentionally flat, designed to serve as vessels for the author’s moods rather than as realistic individuals. If you are looking for deep, character-driven realism, this may feel thin. But if you value a book that leans into its own artifice—a collection that feels like a series of vivid, feverish postcards from a bygone era of decadence—you will find it a compelling, if unsettling, read. It captures a specific, glittering anxiety about the modern world, making it a curious artifact of a time when the globe felt simultaneously shrinking and increasingly dangerous. It leaves you with the lingering, haunting feeling that the most beautiful things are often the ones most likely to destroy the people who dare to touch them.