Against the Grain (Ã? Rebours)
by J. K. Huysmans
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Book Summary Information
Author: J. K. HuysmansEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); French (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1969-06-01
ISBN: 0486221903
Number of pages: 206
Publisher: Dover Publications
Book Reviews of Against the Grain (Ã? Rebours)
Book Review: 'Against the Grain' as 'Against Nature' - it's all 'A Rebours'
Summary: 5 Stars
This review is a copy of one I wrote for 'A Rebours' under its alternative title - 'Against Nature'. Perhaps it will be useful to readers of 'Against the Grain' - and act as a vector to the other reviews of this novel under the alternative title.
This is an extraordinarily self-indulgent work, a tirade by the author against all those sensual things that we enrich our lives with - food, wine, literature, religion, music, travel ..... And yet, in the end, the hero of the story, Des Esseintes, fails in his attempt to isolate himself and cocoon himself in all these things he treasures so much - he becomes ill and has to abandon the attempt. So why does this 'novel' work? It is a very strange one, but it is certainly a novel(ty), perhaps even a nova! Is it the fluidity of the writing (and the translation I read by Margaret Mauldon)? Is it the content that connects in so many ways, in so many directions? For me there was a special fascination although the basis for me as I had lived my life was totally different to Des Esseintes. His experience was a withdrawal from the world after extravagant and self-damaging, self-indulgence. For me, I had imagined doing exactly what Des Esseintes did (but my life turned in a different direction), but my basis had been one of rigorous but perhaps equally self-damaging, self-denial. Would the outcome have been different? I can only speculate but I suspect not. I think Huysmans is right on the money!
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