- 208 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
J.-K. Huysmans
About This Book
A critical biography of a major novelist and art critic from the late nineteenth-century French decadent movement. J.-K. Huysmans (1848–1907) is often hailed as a forerunner of modernist letters. While his novel À rebours / Against Nature remains infamous for its reclusive protagonist retreating into a realm of artifice and dreams, Huysmans's literary contributions are far-reaching. Ruth Antosh explores Huysmans's life and work, illustrating how both reflect an uneasy era of profound social and artistic change. In this context, Huysmans's correspondence, early fiction, art criticism, and surrealist novel En rade / Stranded demand greater critical attention. Antosh argues that Huysmans's life should be understood as an unwavering quest for spiritual and aesthetic fulfillment.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Table of contents
- Front Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- 1 Beginnings
- 2 Under the Influence of Zola and Naturalism
- 3 À rebours and Beyond
- 4 Descending into Darkness: Là-bas, the Abbé Boullan and the Occult
- 5 The Spiritual Journey Begins: Religious Retreats and Huysmans’ Conversion
- 6 In Search of a Monastery: The Road to Ligugé
- 7 The Final Years
- Epilogue
- References
- Bibliography
- Acknowledgements
- Photo Acknowledgements