Christophe Bernard’s The Hollow Beast was quite something. A rollicking tale of three generations of haunted men set in the Gaspésie, it was urbane and profane and bawdy. It was heavily-fueled by alcohol. It’s a long one at over 600 pages and the non-linear narrative and cast of dozens made it occasionally difficult to follow. I’m not sure if it’s more Hunter-S.-Thompson-Gonzo-Porn or Leonard Cohen. I have no doubt that Lazer Lederhendler’s translation is faithful to the original since this is as original a work as I’ve read in a very long time.

3/5.