EN ROUTE (First UK edition, third printing of the first edition in English)

A third printing of the true first edition in English, with "Third Edition" printed on the title page. Translated into English with a prefatory note by C. Kegan Paul. ***Very good in light-green (faded to beige) boards, with gilt titles on the spine, and red titles on the front board. The gilt has dulled over time but is still fairly bright. The boards are heavily marked and rubbed, but there is no tearing to the buckram cloth covering. The spine is unevenly marked and darkened with age and handling. The page block edges are clean - just darkened. The binding is straight and firm, with no reading lean, and no cracking - just slight straining at the gutter of the first text page. Internally the book is also very good, with no inscriptions or foxing - just a few finger handling marks. No creases or tears. No dustwrapper - it is unclear if the book was issued with one, being from 1897. ***198mm x 135mm. With an XI page Translator's Note plus 313 printed pages. ***'"En Route" is a novel by the French writer Joris-Karl Huysmans and was first published in 1895. It is the second of Huysmans's books to feature the character Durtal, a thinly disguised portrait of the author himself. Durtal had already appeared in "Là-bas", investigating Satanism. "En Route" and the subsequent two novels, "The Cathedral" (French: La Cathédrale) and "The Oblate" (French: L'Oblat), trace his conversion to Catholicism, an experience which reflects the author's own. As Huysmans explained: "The plot of the novel is as simple as it could be. I've taken the principal character of Là-Bas, Durtal, had him converted and sent him to a Trappist monastery. In studying his conversion, I've tried to trace the progress of a soul surprised by the gift of grace, and developing in an ecclesiastical atmosphere, to the accompaniment of mystical literature, liturgy, and plainchant, against a background of all that admirable art which the Church has created."' ***'Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans (5 Feb 1848- 12 May 1907) was a French novelist and art critic who published his works as Joris-Karl Huysmans, variably abbreviated as J. K. or J.-K. He is most famous for the novel "À rebours" (1884, published in English as "Against the Grain" and as "Against Nature"). He supported himself by way of a 30-year career in the French civil service. First considered part of Naturalism, he became associated with the decadent movement with his publication of "À rebours". His work expressed his deep pessimism, which had led him to the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. In later years, his novels reflected his study of Catholicism, religious conversion, and becoming an oblate. He discussed the iconography of Christian architecture at length in "La cathédrale" (1898), set at Chartres and with its cathedral as the focus of the book. "Là-bas" (1891), "En Route" (1895) and "La Cathédrale" (1898) are a trilogy that feature Durtal, a character on a spiritual journey who eventually converts to Catholicism. "La Cathédrale" was his most commercially successful work. Its profits enabled Huysmans to retire from his civil service job and live on his royalties. (Wiki) ***A third printing of the first English translation of Huysmans' novel "En Route" in very good collectable condition. Early printings of the first edition are uncommon. Many copies would have deteriorated over time and split and broken. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.…