Ritual in the Dark (1960), Colin Wilson's first novel, is an intricate and absorbing exploration of existential extremes which centres on the hunt for a modern Jack-the-Ripper in a vividly realized 1950s London. In this period of Wilson's career, his novels and nonfiction books often complemented one another and the three main male characters in Ritual correspond, to some extent, to the three real-life figures whom Wilson had discussed in chapter four of The Outsider, the study of psychological dislocation which had launched him to fame and notoriety in 1956. Gerard Sorme, like the writer and adventurer T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935), is the “intellectual” Outsider; Austin Nunne, like the ballet dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky (1890-1950), is the “physical” Outsider; and Oliver Glasp, like the painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853-90), is the “emotional” Outsider. Although...
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Citation: Tredell, Nicolas. "Ritual in the Dark". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 May 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=23914, accessed 13 December 2025.]
