BOOK BRIEF

Against Nature

Joris-Karl Huysmans
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Against Nature

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2004

Book Brief

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Joris-Karl Huysmans

Against Nature

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2004
Book Details
Pages

288

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

France • 1880s

Publication Year

2004

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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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

4.0

14,862 ratings

65%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

13%

Not a fan

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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 this

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.

4.0

14,862 ratings

65%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

13%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

288

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

France • 1880s

Publication Year

2004

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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