Triptych of Mirrors is one of the many Straka novels that is mentioned throughout S. in the marginalia and footnotes.  According to references of the book, it is clear that the novel was written in three parts and is loaded with “pseudo-philosophical bullshit” which wasn’t typical of Straka’s style (145).

Around the campfire while on the run, Stenfalk talks about “Hjaarn, a bloodthirsty but rarely-glimpsed creature” from northern folklore (145). According to Eric, Hjaarn is the “industrialist in part II of Triptych of Mirrors.” Straka makes a statement about Hjaarn in Triptych of Mirrors by referring to him as an evil creature in S. He may also be commenting on industrialism on a whole given his alleged past with the industrial Bouchard.

Jen and Eric discuss Guthrie Macinnes and his involvement in the making of Triptych of Mirrors on page 182. They decide that he is a man that contradicts himself “all because Triptych of Mirrors was a disaster – mostly because of the part that he wrote” meaning that more than one person wrote the book and some parts are better than others but the overall product was a disaster.

When S. asks Maelstrom who Sola, Szalómé, and Samar are, he is told “They’re the same woman.” Eric draws the connection to Triptych of Mirrors. As the “tri” in triptych would suggest, Triptych of Mirrors literally means three attached mirrors. These women that S. has met over the years are in fact three iterations of the same person.

In a footnote on page 334, FXC exerts that Triptych of Mirrors was “an overlong, solipsistic, and commercially-stillborn novel that was published shortly before he and [her] began working together.” This is likely related to the comments that Jen and Eric made in reference to the book on page 182.

Back to Works By