Malpertuis (1943) is a gothic horror novel by the Belgian author Jean Ray (1887–1964).

Premise

Malpertuis is a crumbling, ancient house where a dying warlock has trapped the aging gods of Olympus inside the "skins" of ordinary Flemish citizens.

Structure

The novel is divided into four narratives:

Film adaptation

In 1971 the Belgian director Harry Kümel made a film adaptation of the novel, starring Orson Welles, Susan Hampshire and Mathieu Carrière.

In popular culture

Malpertuis is quoted in Ross J. Anderson's paper "Do you believe in Tinker Bell? The social externalities of trust", quoting (translated): "Men are not born of the whim or will of the gods, on the contrary, gods owe their existence to the belief of men. Should this belief wither, the gods will die." A copy of the novel is prominently displayed on the coffee table of Haydée (Haydée Politoff) in Eric Rohmer's 1967 film La Collectionneuse.