The Mystery Of Mouchette

I hate to be frail, but Mouchette gives me the creeps. The creator of this disturbingly dark Web site has successfuly concealed his or her identity since its inception in 1996. But the persona around which the site exists is that of a 13-year-old girl, Mouchette, named for the 1937 book by Georges Bernanos and the 1967 Robert Bresson movie adaptation. Like the fictional heroine of the book and film, the Web-based Mouchette is fixated on adolescent suicide. A psychosexual component makes the whole thing extra disturbing. If you hate it, you’re not alone. And if you want to learn more, it’s on her Wikipedia page. Mouchette’s world is a labyrinth of hidden links and obscure destinations, a surprising work of Internet art that’s hard to resist even as it’s difficult to bear. (via BeautifulDecay)

The Mystery Of Mouchette – The Rumpus.net

BY JULIE GREICIUS

April 7th, 2009

Julie Greicius is the senior literary editor and a regular contributor for The Rumpus. She works as writer and editor by day and a licensed (really) hula hoop instructor by night. She’s co-editor of Rumpus Women, Vol I, and has an MFA from Columbia University and a PhD in traffic school. She lives in California with her husband and two children.