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Against Nature: A Journey Through the Unnatural World

Ernest Powell

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Published in Against Nature: With Linked Table Of Contents

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Plot
Characters
Themes
Reception

Against Nature is a novel by Joris-Karl Huysmans, first published in 1884. The novel follows the story of Jean des Esseintes, a wealthy and decadent young man who retreats from society to live in a secluded mansion. There, he surrounds himself with artificial beauty and indulges in a series of increasingly bizarre and unnatural experiences.

Against Nature: With linked Table of Contents

by Forrest Stuart

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1018 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	176 pages

Against Nature is a landmark work of the Decadent movement, and it has been praised for its exquisite prose and its exploration of the themes of artificiality, nature, and beauty.

Plot

Against Nature is divided into six chapters, each of which explores a different aspect of Jean des Esseintes' life in his secluded mansion.

In the first chapter, "The House," des Esseintes describes his elaborate and artificial home, which is designed to be a sanctuary from the outside world.
In the second chapter, "The Furniture," des Esseintes describes his collection of furniture and objets d'art, which are all carefully chosen to create an atmosphere of luxury and decadence.
In the third chapter, "The Garden," des Esseintes describes his garden, which is filled with exotic plants and flowers. He uses the garden as a place to escape from reality and to indulge in his own fantasies.
In the fourth chapter, "The Paintings," des Esseintes describes his collection of paintings, which are all works of art that depict artificial or unnatural subjects.
In the fifth chapter, "The Books," des Esseintes describes his collection of books, which are all works of literature that explore the themes of artificiality, nature, and beauty.
In the sixth and final chapter, "The Dream," des Esseintes has a dream in which he experiences the ultimate artificial paradise. However, the dream ends in a nightmare, and des Esseintes is left alone with his own thoughts.

Characters

The main character of Against Nature is Jean des Esseintes. Des Esseintes is a wealthy and decadent young man who has retreated from society to live in a secluded mansion. He is a complex and contradictory character, who is both attracted to and repelled by the natural world.

Other characters in the novel include:

Dr. Moreau, des Esseintes' doctor and friend. Moreau is a sympathetic character who tries to help des Esseintes overcome his декадентство.
Mme. de Chantelouve, des Esseintes' neighbor and friend. Mme. de Chantelouve is a wealthy and eccentric widow who shares des Esseintes' love of art and beauty.
The Abbé ***, des Esseintes' priest. The Abbé is a devout and pious man who tries to save des Esseintes from his decadent lifestyle.

Themes

Against Nature explores a number of important themes, including:

Artificiality vs. Nature: Des Esseintes is torn between his love of artificial beauty and his desire for the natural world. He ultimately rejects nature in favor of the artificial, but he is never able to completely escape the allure of the natural world.
Decadence: Des Esseintes is a classic example of a decadent character. He is a hedonist who indulges in a series of increasingly bizarre and unnatural experiences. His декадентство is ultimately self-destructive, and it leads to his downfall.
Beauty: Des Esseintes is obsessed with beauty, and he believes that beauty can only be found in artificial objects. He surrounds himself with beautiful things, but he is never able to find true happiness or contentment.

Reception

Against Nature was a controversial novel when it was first published. It was praised by some critics for its exquisite prose and its exploration of the themes of artificiality, nature, and beauty. However, other critics condemned the novel for its decadence and its lack of morality.

Today, Against Nature is considered a classic work of literature. It is a fascinating and disturbing novel that explores the dark side of human nature.

Against Nature: With linked Table of Contents

by Forrest Stuart

4.4 out of 5