Against Nature
by Joris-Karl Huysmans
Penguin Books, 1959, Harmondsworth

CONDITION:
Copy is tight with unmarked text, ex-owner name inside front cover, moderate cover wear/tear. GOOD

ATTRIBUTES:
Mass market paperback.

DESCRIPTION:
Joris-Karl Huysmans' "Against Nature" (À rebours) is an 1884 novel that centers on Jean des Esseintes, an eccentric, reclusive, and ailing aesthete who is the last scion of an aristocratic family. Des Esseintes despises 19th-century bourgeois society and retreats into an isolated world of his own making, seeking refuge from what he perceives as the vulgarity of modern life. The novel explores themes of isolation, decadence, individualism, hedonism, and the relentless pursuit of meaning through artificiality and artifice, often at the expense of nature and conventional morality.

Huysmans, born Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans, was a French novelist and art critic (1848–1907) who published his works under the name Joris-Karl Huysmans. He is renowned for his idiosyncratic use of the French language, extensive vocabulary, detailed descriptions, and satirical wit. Initially associated with Naturalism, Huysmans became a key figure in the Decadent movement with the publication of "Against Nature." His work often expressed a deep pessimism, which later led him to explore Catholicism and religious conversion, as seen in his subsequent novels.

"Against Nature" is considered a seminal work of Decadent literature and had a significant influence on French and English writers of the 1890s. It is famously referenced in Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" as the novel that corrupts Dorian's mind. The book's unique structure, focusing almost exclusively on the inner world of a single character and lacking a traditional plot, makes it a fascinating study for collectors interested in literary experimentation and the fin-de-siècle aesthetic. Its exploration of art, artificiality, and the rejection of societal norms makes it a cornerstone of the Decadent movement and a significant piece of literary history.

FLASHBACK TO 1959 WHEN THIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED:
When this book was published in 1959, Fidel Castro's revolution swept Cuba, Alaska and Hawaii joined the United States, and the Soviet Union launched Luna 2, the first probe to impact the Moon. Amidst the Cold War's chill, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened, Barbie made her debut, and the UK saw the passing of literary giants like Raymond Chandler, while the Suez Crisis still cast a long shadow over Harmondsworth and the wider European political landscape.

Page Count: 220

Location: 01-02-01-1476