Against Nature
Against Nature
Book Brief
Beta288
Novel • Fiction
France • 1880s
2004
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
In Joris-Karl Huysmans' Against Nature, a reclusive individual named Des Esseintes retreats from society to indulge in extreme sensory experiences and artistic endeavors. Isolating himself in a suburban villa, he explores literature, art, and decor, confronting the philosophical struggle between natural desires and artificial creations.
Contemplative
Mysterious
Melancholic
Bittersweet
Reviews & Readership
14,862 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
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Review Roundup
Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans is celebrated for its rich, decadent prose and vivid imagery, providing an immersive exploration of aestheticism and isolation. Critics praise its influence on modern literature, though some find its plotless narrative challenging and the protagonist's hedonism alienating. Its distinctive style remains a key point of both admiration and critique.
Who Should Read Against Nature?
A reader who revels in decadent literature and philosophical exploration would enjoy Joris-Karl Huysmans’s Against Nature. Comparable to books like Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and Charles Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du mal, this novel captivates with its richly detailed aesthetic and rejection of bourgeois values.
14,862 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Against Nature, originally titled À Rebours in French, was published in 1884 and quickly became a cornerstone of the Decadent movement in literature.
The novel is famously known for inspiring Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, with Wilde's protagonist referring to it as a "poisonous book."
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Huysmans's extraordinary attention to detail in depicting lavish and decadent tastes influenced art and literature with its celebration of aesthetic eccentricity as a form of rebellion against naturalism.
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288
Novel • Fiction
France • 1880s
2004
Adult
18+ years
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