A Dilemma

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

3.2

Word count: 106K words
Chapters: 11

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. Un dilemme by J.-K. Huysmans. Author: Huysmans, J.-K. (Joris-Karl), 1848-1907. Language: French. Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese. Release Date: Dec 20, 2007

Editor's review

Un dilemme is a French-language text by Huysmans, made freely available by Project Gutenberg and classified under French literature. Huysmans is known for his delicate psychological portraiture and his exploration of decadent aesthetics, and this short work, though brief, centers on a character's hesitation between morality and desire. The French original preserves the rhythm and diction of late nineteenth-century prose, making it good material for French learners to observe the difference between literary language and everyday expression, and for students of fin-de-siècle French literature it can supplement their understanding of Huysmans's shorter fiction. Readers should not rush toward a conclusion: the value of the work lies more in how hesitation itself is written. Reading it alongside background on the author's other works, or in comparison with contemporary French fiction, is recommended to appreciate its place in his style.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Intermediate and advanced learners of French who wish to engage with literary originals
Students of late nineteenth-century French literature and decadent aesthetics
Readers of short fiction who enjoy psychological portraiture and moral dilemmas
Translators seeking public-domain French texts for translation practice

Not a good fit for

Beginners with weak French who need bilingual annotations to read
Readers of popular fiction who prefer strong plots and clear endings
Readers impatient with fin-de-siècle style and slow-paced description

Reading tips

First read through once without stopping for full comprehension, then look up unfamiliar words and closely read key passages.
Note the moments of the character's hesitation and trace how the "dilemma" advances through the text.
Compare with Huysmans's other works or contemporary French fiction to observe stylistic differences.
Try translating a passage into Chinese, then reread the original to check your understanding.

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 the French original?

According to Project Gutenberg, the language is French, and it is classified under Romance literatures. Readers need some French reading ability, or should use a dictionary or a parallel translation.

What reading schedule suits its length?

The source does not state a page count, but by its nature it is a short text, suitable for reading in two or three sessions. Read through once for the whole, then closely read the language and psychological description a second time, rather than skimming quickly and missing details.

Can I read this without knowing Huysmans?

Yes. The text is short and focused on a small cast, and can be read without prior works. To better understand its style, first learn about late nineteenth-century French literature's interest in psychological and moral questions, then return to a close reading.

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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.