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Nihilesthete

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In _Nihilesthete_ by Richard Kalich, a sadistic caseworker in Harlem finds the perfect victim - a limbless, mentally-deficient man who can only communicate by mewing like a cat.

The caseworker, who delights in raising people's spirits then dashing them to pieces, learns that his victim is a lover of beauty. One cannot help but be caught up in a sense of doom while watching the caseworker elevate his victim's soul to seemingly impossible heights, all the while knowing that the final outcome will be cruel and heartrending.

The caseworker's descending spiral into insanity is an intense counterpoint to his victim's increasing triumph over the cruelty he experiences. Disturbing, yes... dark, yes... but highly recommended for cutting-edge fiction fans who enjoy peering into the depths that a person's soul can reach.

The Nihilesthete is the journal of Robert Haberman, New York City social worker, unrepentant sadist, and connoisseur of pain. Walking home from the subway one evening, Haberman encounters a limbless, mentally deficient man in a wheelchair. The man, named Brodski, is a dream come true for Haberman--the perfect victim.

Fate throws them together when Haberman is assigned as Brodski's case worker. Haberman insinuates himself between Brodski and Mrs. Rivera, a kindly woman who has cared for the handicapped man throughout his life. Haberman introduces Brodski (who can communicate only with sounds similar to a cat's meow) to a new life, exposing him to art and the beauty of the outside world. Haberman becomes the center of Brodski's existence, a virtual god. He revels in his power, anticipating Brodski's inevitable fall.

Haberman eventually gains custody of Brodski, thus acquiring the power to indulge his fantasies. He slowly deprives his victim of everything he cherishes, taking back all the gifts he has given. He designs tortures to break Brodski's will, subjecting him to constant humiliation and pain. Brodski, however, never loses his dignity. As Haberman steps up his efforts to break him, Brodski gains strength, and the two become embroiled in a battle of wills where the outcome is anything but certain.

The Nihilesthete is unique, a welcome antidote to the slew of vampire novels and idiotic theme anthologies which crowd bookstore shelves. Kalich's dark, disturbing vision is grotesque, but strangely fascinating--you'll feel more like a voyeur than a reader. Like Tim Lucas' Throat Sprockets, The Nihilesthete will shock and unnerve readers, but who, after all, reads horror for its soothing effect?

Yes this story involves the dark & creepy extreme of human nature, and a machinistic, sytematic dismantling of a helpless person, but it's *about* the victim and a triumph over the title character so complete that it makes the denoument of a Stephen King novel look facile & tame.

I happened across this book in a used book store in Brooklyn, and I feel very lucky. Rarely do authors come up with original ideas. Rarely are stories both believeable and still interesting. This is one of them. The author is very vivid, poetic, and managed to keep what would usually be a very depressing subject light somehow. He's very good.