Although Franz Bonaparta did produce many stories, not every story were published. As Bonaparta’s editor Tomas Zobak stated, Bonaparta’s work has always been so dark and full of misery. Horrible misery. Yet his book made significant sales within Europe, that’s why Moravia continue publishing his works.  Zobak also said there is one story claimed to make two people falling in love, but will not work to make someone falling in love with you. This story is known as Franz Bonaparta’s version of “Rosemary’s Baby.” Although never actually made into a full story, this one really got me a glimpse. Maybe a thought of how Bonaparta (or in this case, Klaus Poppe) value himself…

This is how the story goes as told by Tomas Zobak in Another Monster: Chapter 15

Klaus Poppe’s Rosemary’s Baby

“The story was told in the first person through the eyes of a young boy.
His mother was pregnant with twins, and for some reason, he was worried that a monster would be born instead.

In the end, the boy himself was the monster. But Klaus Poppe’s weirdness came in when the boy feels relief
at finding out that he is the monster, and ends up loving his little brother and sister like a normal sibling.”

A very short story yet still gives me the thrill. The usual unpleasant aftertaste. Urasawa is really a genius in progressing ambiance…

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“Another Monster” also reveal stories that have never been told, such as story that blossoms around Kinderheim 511 & story that was made up on-the-spot by Bonaparta during the reading class in Red Rose Mansion.

The first was a fairy tale spread among the boys in Kinderheim 511. Its first revealed from a boy who was sent to Nina’s orphanage from Kinderheim 511. Then re-told by Erna Tietze, an employee of another orphanage where Nina was kept. As read in Another Monster: Chapter 05

The Sleeping Monster

“In Kinderheim 511, there was a boy who was always kept under sleeping pills.  Because he held the words that could destroy any person, the teachers thought he was a monster and kept him locked underground.  Such was the terror that they felt towards him that they swore they could see ten horns and seven heads.

But one day, the boy developed resistance to the drugs and awakened. He manipulated his jailors and slipped back among the pupils. But the boys didn’t know who he was…  because none of them knew each other’s names or pasts.  The boy hated everything about the facility, so he began secretly plotting to have everyone kill each other.

First, he would steal all of their memories, so that they couldn’t even remember their own names, and then offer them the path to death, through their torment…  But the other boys never even realized that they were being controlled.  Could it be that someone is trying to manipulate us?

And so this incredible fever raced through the orphanage.”

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The other one is a story told by Bonaparta during Red Rose Mansion reading seminar. At that time he didn’t read a book but making it on-the-spot instead. He called it “The King of Darkness and The Queen of Light”. But it truly leads to a sentence about the ‘door that must not be opened’. Later in “Monster,” Lunge found a secret door inside the mansion. Anyway, the story was re-told by Sobotka (real name unknown), a former reading attendant, in Another Monster: Chapter 17

The King of Darkness & The Queen of Light

“It was a story of the King of Darkness and the Queen of Light…

Darkness and light were always fighting, but in fact, the King of Darkness loved the Queen of Light. When she lies down to sleep one night, he kidnaps her and brings her to his castle of darkness. But the Queen of Light begins to lose her shine and is on the verge of death.

The King of Darkness realizes that this is because of the darkness. So he calls together all his servants to the
‘Room of True Darkness,’ and puts them in an eternal sleep. Next, he releases the Queen of Light from his castle, and the
queen’s light returns bit by bit.

So the King of Darkness comes out into her light, growing smaller by the moment, lamenting his crimes and professing his love for her. The instant he speaks his last word, he is nothing but a tiny black spot. The Queen of Light forgives and accepts the King of Darkness, and ever since, the Queen of Light’s body has a little piece of darkness in it…

The darkness has disappeared from the world, but if anyone should open the ‘door that must not be opened,’ which leads to the ‘Room of True Darkness,’ it would bring back the dark, and spark another terrible war between light and darkness… “

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Then there is also stories created by Jaromír Lipsky, a puppeteer who performs his marionette shows at the Karel bridge in Prague. At some point, he met Anna/Nina and they became good friends. After this meeting, he changes his stories so that they will have a happy ending. The second one is a story he made after meeting Nina, while the first is the one he usually performs. Reading the first one, I wonder if Dr. Tenma will take the same action as the young man in Jaromír’s story.

The Tale of a Demon

A demon is on his journey to find a dragon that will destroy the world, but on his way he comes close to the brink of death. A young man who was passing by sees him dying, and acts quickly to save his life. When the young man learns the true identity of the one he saved, he chases after the demon. At the end of his journey the young man finds the evil one, and then with a knife in his hand, he slays the demon.

 

The Girl’s Journey

I am a girl who’s lost her memory.
I had that I was being chased by a monster.
I had a dream I was chasing a monster.

But I like to sing.
I like to dance, too.
Someday, I have a wonderful dream… Someday, that dream will come true for me.

Someday…Someday….

The girl made up her mind to leave.
She doesn’t know what kind of a journey it will be.
She doesn’t know what is waiting for her.
But, the girl will courageously continue her journey.
The girl turns and waves her hand again and again.

Again…and again….

And then she is gone.
To search for her happy ending.

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Aside from stories published in “Another Monster,” there is also one story in “Monster” that break Bonaparta’s common feels. In contrary to the majority of his work, “Das Ruhenheim” does not share the same dark & nihilism. It actually provides a happy ending, which is rare in any of his works. I think it is more like his own life-story, given the title is actually the name of the city he’s living in after the incident. Das Ruhenheim was written by Poppe under the name of Helmuth Voss as his last work and was published in 1989, 8 years after the incident in Red Rose Mansion. His sketch-work can be found later inside “Obluda, Ktera Nema Sve Jmeno” supplement.

Das Ruhenheim (A Peaceful Home)

by Helmuth Voss

“A thief runs to a town enclosed by mountains and plans to cheat money from the locals. However, after interacting with them, he slowly forgets how to steal and ends up leading a quiet life while doing things for them.”

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Read another Monster Metafiction:

buh miru (The God of Peace) ❀ obluda, ktera nema sve jmeno (The Nameless Monster) ❀ velkooky velkousty (The Man With Big Eyes & The Man With Big Mouth) ❀ and obluda, se probouzi (The Awakens Monster)

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Okay I think this is where the journey ends for me. It’s been a blast! Knowing there is a talent like Urasawa that will keep me dragged into his work so deep, as though that is a real journey I’ve been thrown in. Anyway, 6 posts are already too much hehe..thank you for having the ride with me 🙂