Against Nature
Ratings15
Average rating4.1
"A rebours" is a novel by a French writer (translated: "Against the forward direction"). All the novel is concentrate in one eccentric character and it's inner life: Jean des Esseintes. This upper-class antihero is an aesthete who loath his contemporaries and lives retreated in his once splendid and rich home, where he collects objects of art, reads and comments his readings.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
Casse avec le roman traditionnel, l'impression d'avancer sans jamais vraiment atteindre un but. Une bonne lecture qui sûrement ne plaira pas à tout le monde, l'aventure se fait ailleurs.
This book is an extended version of Chapter 11 in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Or rather, Dorian Gray is a condensed version of this novel. I loved it; the aesthetic descriptions were a pleasure to read and the prose is filled with delightful vocabulary and references to so many things that I think it's worth a re-read to explore in depth. I can see why this influenced Wilde, and how it served to corrupt Dorian. There's something both inspiring and cautionary about Des Esseintes, and the reader doesn't know whether to love him or be disgusted by him.
Top Prompts
Featured Prompt
4,116 books#4,116 in What are your favorite books of all time?
When you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...
