The Enchanter

A middle-aged, well-off, outwardly respectable man sits on a park bench, contemplating the depths of his ‘murky soul’ and his obsession with young girls.

When he spies a coltish, russet-haired beauty on roller skates, he makes it his mission to seduce her, even if he must marry her ailing mother to do so. Planning his every move with the precision and coolness of a chess player, he ultimately choreographs his own downfall.

Anticipating Nabokov’s masterpiece Lolita in its themes and its black humour, this playful, mischievous and perfectly crafted story is at once hilarious and chilling.