| Against Nature Contributor(s): Huysmans, Joris Karl (Author), Baldick, Robert (Translator), McGuiness, Patrick (Introduction by) |
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ISBN: 0140447636 ISBN-13: 9780140447637 Publisher: Penguin Group OUR PRICE: $14.40 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 2004 Annotation: A wildly original fin-de-sicle novel, "Against Nature" follows its sole character, Des Esseintes, a decadent, ailing aristocrat who retreats to an isolated villa where he indulges his taste for luxury and excess. Veering between nervous excitability and debilitating ennui, he gluts his aesthetic appetites with classical literature and art, exotic jewels (with which he fatally encrusts the shell of his tortoise), rich perfumes, and a kaleidoscope of sensual experiences. The original handbook of decadence, "Against Nature" exploded like a grenade (in the words of its author) and has enjoyed a cult readership from its publication to the present day. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Classics - Fiction | Literary - Fiction | Historical - General |
| Dewey: FIC |
| LCCN: 2004270858 |
| Lexile Measure: 1600 |
| Series: Penguin Classics |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 5" W x 7.7" (0.45 lbs) 242 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - French |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The infamous inspiration for the novel which slowly corrupts Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray is translated by Robert Baldick with an introduction by Patrick McGuinness in Penguin Classics. A wildly original fin-de-si cle novel, Against Nature contains only one character. Des Esseintes is a decadent, ailing aristocrat who retreats to an isolated villa where her indulges his taste for luxury and excess. Veering between nervous excitability and debilitating ennui, he gluts his aesthetic appetites with classical literature and art, exotic jewels (with which he fatally encrusts the shell of his tortoise), rich perfumes and a kaleidoscope of sensual experiences. Against Nature, in the words of the author, exploded 'like a meteorite' and has enjoyed a cult following to this day. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. |