Against the Grain

Huysmans, J.-K. (Joris-Karl), 1848-1907Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.5

Word count: 360K words
Chapters: 36

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Against the Grain by J.-K. HuysmansAuthor: Huysmans, J.-K. (Joris-Karl), 1848-1907,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: May 1, 2004

Editor's review

Against the Grain is Huysmans's representative work, generally regarded as an important text of late-nineteenth-century European Decadent literature. The novel centers on the aristocratic protagonist Des Esseintes, who withdraws to the countryside and constructs a private life around extremely refined aesthetic tastes; the plot is thin while sensory description is dense, touching on literature, painting, perfume, jewelry, and religion, and expressing a stance of refusal toward modern ordinary life. Its value lies not in plot progression but in the density of language and taste: readers can observe how Decadent aesthetics build a spiritual refuge out of objects, scents, and texts. This book is a public-domain English translation e-book, suitable as supplementary reading for the study of late-nineteenth-century French literature, Aestheticism, and Decadence. Read it slowly, as a display of ideas and tastes, and note the narrator's ambiguous attitude toward the protagonist's tastes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in late-nineteenth-century French literature, Decadence, and Aestheticism
Literature students studying the prehistory of modernism and the relationship between aesthetics and civil society
Experienced novel readers who enjoy slow reading and appreciate delicate sensory description and the unfolding of ideas

Not a good fit for

General fiction readers expecting strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Readers impatient with dense aesthetic discussion and descriptions of objects
Those seeking light, entertaining reading

Reading tips

Read the translator's preface or introduction first to understand the Decadent context, lowering the barrier to the main text.
Read slowly section by section, and after each chapter note the aesthetic topics the protagonist engages with and shifts in his attitudes.
Consult references on late-nineteenth-century French painting and literature for relevant terms, so as not to be overwhelmed by details.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book strongly plot-driven?

No. The book centers on the protagonist's reclusive life and aesthetic tastes; the plot advances slowly, with emphasis on language, sensory description, and the unfolding of ideas. If you expect a twisting story, the reading experience may fall short of expectations; if you are interested in literary movements and aesthetic ideas, you will gain more.

Do I need to understand Decadence before reading?

Systematic study is not necessary, but some basic background helps. The book is often placed in the Decadent tradition, involving refusal of modern ordinary life and the pursuit of refined taste. Reading the introduction first and understanding the late-nineteenth-century French literary context will help you enter the text more quickly.

How difficult is the English translation?

According to the available information, this book is an English translation e-book released by Project Gutenberg. The text contains many terms for objects, art, and religion, and the sentences are dense, posing a certain challenge for non-native readers. It is advisable to read with annotations or relevant background material and to slow down.

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About the author

Huysmans, J.-K. (Joris-Karl), 1848-1907 Author

Joris-Karl Huysmans (1848–1907) was a French novelist known for his meticulous, almost anatomical treatment of psychology and the senses. His best-known novel, A rebours (Against the Grain; German translation Gegen den Strich), centres on a reclusive aristocrat's extreme pursuit of art, sensation and artificial pleasures, and is regarded as a key text of late nineteenth-century European aestheticism and decadent literature. Another novel, Là-bas, explores questions of faith and mystical experience, while En Route and The Cathedral continue his engagement with religious themes. Eight of his works are held in the collection, including Sac-Au-Dos and Un dilemme. Public information is limited, so no conjectures are made about the details of his life.