Against Nature (À rebours)
Joris-Karl Huysmans · 1848–1907 · France
Originally À rebours (French)
Why it matters
The 'breviary of the Decadence': one aesthete, no plot, and an encyclopedia of exquisite, perverse sensation: jeweled tortoises, perfume organs. It corrupted Dorian Gray and declared art's independence from nature and morality alike.
At a glance
philosophical novel
Difficulty 7/10slow pace256 pagesAlmost plotless, an encyclopedic catalogue of aesthetic and sensory digression.
Deep dive
Why a novel with almost no plot became the most dangerous book of the century — the one that corrupts Dorian Gray just by sitting on his shelf.
Where to go next
Joris-Karl Huysmans · 1891Là-BasLvl 7Slow burn
Émile Zola · 1885GerminalLvl 5Medium pace
Gabriele D'Annunzio · 1889The Child of PleasureLvl 6Slow burn
Oscar Wilde · 1890The Picture of Dorian GrayLvl 4Medium pace
Gustave Flaubert · 1857Madame BovaryLvl 5Slow burn
Marcel Proust · 1913Swann's WayLvl 8Slow burn