The Cathedral - Softcover

Huysmans, J.K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1903517907 ISBN 13: 9781903517901

Publisher: Dedalus Limited, 2011

Synopsis

After the Satanic debaucheries of Là-bas (1891) and the sensual battles of En Route (1895), comes the cloistered calm of The Cathedral (1898). In this long, reflective novel, Huysmans' alter-ego, Durtal, sets out to explore the mystic symbolism embodied in one of the greatest gothic edifices in France, Chartres cathedral. Written at the time of the Dreyfus Affair, a political scandal that threatened to tear France apart, Chartres cathedral became for Huysmans a potent symbol of the harmonious diversity of the Middle Ages, one that had the potential to unify the divisions in contemporary French society. This complex, multi-layered vision of Chartres cathedral as a structure in which art, science and religion could exist in harmony rather than discord, captured the public imagination on its first publication, and The Cathedral became a runaway bestseller.

This edition contains 20 photographs of parts of Chartres cathedral mentioned in the text.

About this title

About the Author:

J.K.Huysmans (1847-1907) began writing as a naturalist in the style of Zola. .He 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. His novel about Satanism, La-Bas (1891)is the cult novel of the nineteenth century.

Language Notes:

Text: English, French (translation)

About this edition

• Publisher: Dedalus Limited
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1903517907
• ISBN 13: 9781903517901
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 364
• Editor: King Brendan