Project Gutenberg 2004-05-01 Public domain in the USA. 1199 Huysmans, J.-K. (Joris-Karl) 1848 1907 Huysmans, Joris Karl Huysmans, Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans, Jorris-Karl Huysmans, Jaris-Karl Huysmans, Joris-Karl Howard, John A rebours. English Against the Grain Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%80_rebours Produced by Harrison Ainsworth "Against the Grain" by J.-K. Huysmans is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story follows the life of Des Esseintes, the last descendant of a once-noble family, as he seeks refuge from a society he finds unbearable. The opening chapters delve into his solitary existence, intricate aesthetics, and profound disdain for the world around him, exploring themes of decadence and ennui. The beginning of "Against the Grain" introduces Des Esseintes, a young man suffering from a multitude of ailments and the weight of his family's decline. Raised in isolation and viewed as an oddity, he reflects on his upbringing, relationships, and eventual disillusionment with societal norms. Des Esseintes struggles with loneliness while yearning for beauty and meaning, leading him to create a unique sanctuary at his new residence in Fontenay, where he meticulously designs his living space to reflect his artistic sensibilities. Through his somber meditation on existence and sensuality, he ultimately seeks to escape human folly and engage with a more refined, contemplative existence. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 51.3 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en French fiction -- Translations into English Aesthetics -- Fiction PQ Text Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction 450094 2025-06-05T09:42:44.371197 text/html 463899 2020-12-14T21:40:13 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 263221 2025-06-05T09:42:53.837145 application/epub+zip 262911 2025-06-05T09:42:47.623172 application/epub+zip 261495 2025-06-05T09:42:46.209205 application/epub+zip 449613 2025-06-05T09:42:58.580125 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 402698 2025-06-05T09:42:52.854163 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 378634 2022-09-06T20:03:27.379411 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 388168 2023-10-06T04:59:27.201041 text/plain 16361 2025-06-05T09:42:58.736111 application/rdf+xml 14136 2025-06-05T09:42:46.790174 image/jpeg 3717 2025-06-05T09:42:46.498179 image/jpeg 238690 2025-06-05T09:42:44.411207 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog fr.wikipedia en.wikipedia