Let's set the scene: Madrid in the 1920s. Samuel, a man with more dreams than money, unexpectedly inherits a collection of odd items from a distant relative. Among the trinkets is a beautiful, ornate silver cup. It's not just any cup—it once belonged to Paul Verlaine, the brilliant but self-destructive French poet known for his tumultuous life and partnership with Arthur Rimbaud.

The Story

Samuel starts using the cup, and almost immediately, things feel off. He's plagued by strange dreams and a growing sense of dread. He becomes obsessed with the idea that the cup isn't just a relic; it's a vessel that absorbed Verlaine's own misery, addiction, and creative torment. As Samuel's fascination deepens, his own life begins to mirror the poet's decline. His health suffers, his mind clouds, and he pushes away the people who care about him. The central question becomes: Is the cup genuinely cursed with a supernatural evil, or is Samuel's own knowledge of Verlaine's tragic story creating a powerful, self-fulfilling prophecy of ruin? The book walks that razor's edge between psychological breakdown and supernatural possibility until the very end.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me wasn't just the gothic premise, but Carrere's incredible skill with atmosphere. He paints Madrid's darker corners—its shadowy taverns and lonely boarding houses—with such vivid gloom. Samuel's descent is painfully gradual and believable. You watch him make one bad decision after another, all while he's utterly convinced the cup is to blame. It makes you think about the power of stories and history. Can an object become haunted simply by the weight of its past? Carrere, a figure himself immersed in the bohemian nightlife of his time, writes about artistic despair and addiction with a raw, knowing intimacy that feels personal, not just fictional.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for readers who love classic, slow-burn horror that lives in the mind. Think more 'The Yellow Wallpaper' than a modern thriller. It's also a treat for anyone interested in the lore of real-life poets like Verlaine and Rimbaud, offering a fictional 'what if' spun from their legends. The prose is of its time, so it has a formal, dramatic flavor, but that only adds to the haunting mood. If you're in the mood for a short, intense, and beautifully bleak trip into obsession, La copa de Verlaine is a captivating sip of poison.