Against the Grain

Joris-Karl Huysmans (1848–1907) — a French writer of Dutch origins. He started as a follower of the naturalist school, but in 1884 he published the novel «Against the Grain» — a work that became a manifesto of European decadence. The central figure of the novel is the Duke des Esseintes, a sensitive man who feels a deep aversion to the life around him. He is wealthy and can afford to distance himself from the grim reality; any whim and pleasure are within his reach, and he can even create his own world, according to his own rules… But is it possible to survive and keep one’s sanity in this most refined of spaces?..