Overview
This is the final part of Huysmans' alter ego Durtal's spiritual journey. From the satanism of La-Ba (1891) he makes his way to the foot of the cross by a retreat in a Trappist monastery in En Route (1895), and by living in Chartres in The Cathedral(1898) until finally he embraces Roman Catholicism in The Oblate (1903). Durtal is a modern anti-hero: solitary, agonised and alienated. His spiritual Journey confronts the problems of our age. Art, architecture and music light Durtal's path to God. Although a novel about spiritual redemption The Oblate is rich in the atmosphere of fin-de-siècle decadence which has dominated Huymans' previous novels. AUTHOR: J.-K. Huysmans (1847-1907) changed from being an obscure author and art critic to one of the most famous authors of his day with the publication of A Rebours (Against Nature) in 1884.
Full Product Details
Author: J.-K. Huysmans ,
Brendan King
Publisher: Dedalus Ltd
Imprint: Dedalus Ltd
ISBN: 9781912868957
ISBN 10: 1912868954
Pages: 367
Publication Date: 25 November 2022
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
'One of Huysmans' objects in writing L'Oblat was to present a vivid but accurate account of the life of a French religious community at the beginning of the century. He wished, in fact, to emulate the Flemish sculptors who, in the figurines in Dijon Museum which are described in the book, had represented the monastic humanity of their time, merry or melancholy, phlegmatic or fervent.' Robert Baldick in The Life of J.-K. Huysmans
Author Information
J.-K. Huysmans (1847-1907) changed from being an obscure author and art critic to one of the most famous authors of his day with the publication of A Rebours (Against Nature) in 1884. A Rebours is a ground-breaking novel which captures the decadent spirit of the day and marks his final break with Zola and naturalism. Dedalus have published 12 books by J.-K. Huysmans, 11 in new translations by Brendan King. Robert Baldick's brilliant book The Life of J.-K. Huysmans was published by Dedalus in the autumn of 2005, updated and edited by Brendan King. Brendan King is a freelance writer, reviewer and translator with a special interest in late nineteenth-century French fiction. His Ph.D. was on the life and work of J.-K. Huysmans. He has translated La-Bas, Parisian Sketches, Marthe, Against Nature, Stranded, The Cathedral, The Vatard Sisters, Drifting, Modern Art, Certain Artists and The Oblate by J.-K. Huysmans for Dedalus. He has also edited The Life of J.-K.Huysmans by Robert Baldick for Dedalus. He lives in Paris.
