Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead

By: Barbara Comyns

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Synopsis: &“Comyns&’ novel is deranged in ways that shouldn&’t be disclosed.&” —Ben Marcus This is the story of the Willoweed family and the English village in which they live. It begins mid-flood, ducks swimming in the drawing-room windows, &“quacking their approval&” as they sail around the room. &“What about my rose beds?&” demands Grandmother Willoweed. Her son shouts down her ear-trumpet that the garden is submerged, dead animals everywhere, she will be lucky to get a bunch. Then the miller drowns himself . . . then the butcher slits his throat . . . and a series of gruesome deaths plagues the villagers. The newspaper asks, &“Who will be smitten by this fatal madness next?&” Through it all, Comyns' unique voice weaves a text as wonderful as it is horrible, as beautiful as it is cruel. Originally published in England in 1954, this &“overlooked small masterpiece&” is a twisted, tragicomic gem.