Book VI, Stanzas 1-5 Summary

Stanza 1: The narrator informs the reader that the first five books, or songs, have only been building the foundation for the sixth and final song. In this song, he promises to bring his claims about man, God, and himself (Maldoror) to a fitting conclusion.

Stanza 2: The narrator explains the dilemma Maldoror finds himself in: His hatred of humanity makes him want to both escape humanity and live among men in order to kill or otherwise terrorize them. He reached the compromise of living in a remote, secluded area (like a cave) and traveling from time to time to some dense center of population in order to indulge his misanthropic desires. As time went on, this indulgence became increasingly difficult to carry out as he built himself a reputation; police forces were constantly on the look for him...