J.K Huysmans - Against Nature BOOK REVIEW 

Didn't see a single jewel encrusted onto that cat.

This is an extraordinary book. The writing is glorious. However, I can't help feeling I don't have the education to get everything from it. I don't know how anyone could, really. But having read it, I now have a reading list that will see me in books for the rest of my life.

Read The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa. Super good book.

This is the great influence to The Picture of Dorian Gray

I mean, having Egon Schiele art on the cover makes the book good by default.

Huysmans, Baudelaire, Balzac, De Maistre, the great French Catholic writers.

I'm so glad to find someone else who has read and loved this book! I read it for my Modern France class at university and it's only grown on me since. Its hard to decide between the turtle, perfume, flowers, and enema for my favorite sections. Against Nature is a treasure.

I really enjoy watching your reviews. This particular one inspired me to finally pick up my own copy of 'Against Nature' from my local bookshop and giving it a try. I also picked up a copy of a little biography of Rimbaud, about his stay in Belgium (where I live), after watching your Rimbaud review. So yeah, def. looking forward to reading those. And I really hope I don't offend you by saying this, but you are very, very beautiful.

I've just binge watched all your videos, and what can I say ? Gimme more ! Great literature needs great defenders, and you are definitely one of them. Thank you for such in-depth analysis. (plus, not that I want to add some fuel to your impatience, but as a French I have the privilege to have already read "Soumission" and it is ... fuck*** Houellebecquian genius - and yes he totally deserves a neologism with his name)

Thanks for covering one of my favorite authors who I was turned onto back in 1984 after first reading La' Bas and then read many of his books over the years as he converted to Catholicism. Your channel is probably the only one I have come across that actually gives sufficient credit to J.K. Huysmans and much appreciated for your perspective.

I definitely enjoy the thought of Décadence authors being casually read and reviewed, without fancy wordy sugarcoating! Thanks from France!

...I read this "fucking book"...several years ago, and it continues to resonate with me to this day. In fact, I've written about this "decadent novel" par excellence in a couple of articles on my blog (i.e. The Culture Fix). Des Esseintes' musings about Mallarme's poetry in Chapter 12 are especially great because Mallarme is one of my favorite poets. Great review, man. And if you haven't already, might I suggest that you read and review Rainer Maria Rilke's lone novel, "The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge". It's another one of my all-time favorites, and you seem like the kinda guy that would really dig it for sure. Cheers! And I've officially subscribed to you. :-)

Checking this out! I'm curious in your opinion of Cormac McCarthy´s work!

Will definitely take a look at it

Great videos on great books! Ate some food while watching them. Subscribed immediately.

I read this novel many years ago when I was interested in Oscar Wilde and now I can't remember much about it. Maybe I was too young and optimistic at the time. Perhaps decadence belongs to middle and old age.

I started this today...I had a good feeling about it a few pages in. I read Submission last year but wasn't familiar with Huysmans at the time. I had some issues with Submission but have since read 2 more Houellebecqs. He always seems to pick supremely interesting subject matter.

I first discovered this book in my mid-twenties, many years ago. I was a young gay man obsessed with Wilde and 19th C. decadents in general when I saw a mention of it in a book on Wilde. I had to search all over for a copy in the suburban wasteland of my youth (it was the 80’s) and when I did, I read it and it changed my life and my mind for good. This book seems to have that effect on people. I always get giddy when I encounter someone who loves this book as much as I do. You should very definitely considering marrying such an individual when you find them, I highly agree with you there!

Fantastic review!! Against Nature is one of my absolute favorites! Also, wow, you look and sound like Bradley Cooper! :)

This channel is fantastic. As a student-teacher, I thank you. I paraphrase you often.

I am about to begin reading it when this video is finished!

Made me want to go out find this book right now, and some scotch. Also the cat is welcomed addition

I honestly don't know how I've never found this channel before. Absolutely love it. Definitely the kind of person you need to have a pint and book rant with! Keep it up!

You should take a look at "En rade" (I don't know the English title), written two years later, it's more like a "real" novel, it's kinda funny, scarcastic and full of despair, and as sophisticated as "Against Nature", with that incredible, hallucinated style. Great review. Cheers from France

I’m reading this book right now. Yes, it’s better than food... better than being happy.

Try La Retraite De Monsieur Bougran, a very nice short story by Huysmans. If you can't read french, I don't think you'll get all the modernity of the writer's style but I'm sure some good translators were paid.

The quintessential description of Huysman is "decadent." In fact, this book is considered the best example of Decadence in French Literature in the 20th century. I read it many years ago (60's) and never recovered. Think of Huysman as related to Baudelaire and also another minor writer Villiers de L'isle D'adam who said, " As for living we will leave that to our servants."

I try to read every book you've spoken

Will always be my favorite book. P.s Great review

Man, you should re-review this book.

Its on my "to read" list

I won't bore you with my history. But like another poster I do recommend The Magus by John Fowles. It is a masterpiece of literature and works best on someone in his late 20's early thirties.

thanks

0:44 keep the leather jeans in tip top condition

"Once I despised [the Church], because I had a staff on which to lean when the great winds of weariness blew ; I believed in my novels, I worked at my history, I had my art. I have come to recognize its absolute inadequacy, its complete incapacity to afford happiness. Then I understood that Pessimism was, at most, good to console those who had no real need of comfort; I understood that its theories, alluring when we are young, and rich, and well, become singularly weak and lamentably false, when age advances, when infirmities declare themselves, when all around is crumbling. I went to the church, that hospital for souls. There, at least, they take you in, put you to bed and nurse you, they do not merely turn their backs on you as in the wards of Pessimism and tell you the name of your disease." - from the semi-autobiographical "En Route" By Joris-Karl Huysmans

Another reason for you to read Soumission by Houellebecq. I think you having read Huysmans will add to that experience. Skip that comment, you already knew Houellebecq used it... Note to self: wait after video is completely done before commenting.

One of my favorite books!!

You're awesome

LOVE THIS BOOK…. Heard about it from Terence Mckenna… Okay I subscribed… John Waters quote did it for me.

do the picture of Dorian Gray

You are perfect.

Great book!! I would like to suggest The Magus by John Fowles!!!

YESSS! Just my taste

Holy shit my cat is identical... Lol. Great review by the way

No wonder the cat hates him

Thanks I now know how to pronounce Huysmans lol I was pronouncing it like it was spelled

It's definitive . Compared to heart of darkness and the visceral of Burroughs but with musical prose that makes you feel like an illiterate .The first Modern novel .

The edition of Against Nature talked about here is the translation by Brendan King, published by Dedalus Books.

I found the book mind numbingly boring - it felt like a series of lists tied together with some flowery prose in between. That being said, your enjoyment of the book is so infectious I'm going to give it a second go!

Who or wat is a liggotian???

he embraced catholicism because it’s better than food, even better than a slice of gamey venison on the point of going off.

i cam here bc i wanted u to spoil it

Sex isn't good at all though

Please good person who reads my comment and likes this book: Can you reccomend me another book with a schizoid character? And please not "The perfume" as i already read that one. And not "The portrait of Dorian Grey" as i read that one too. Thank you from the bottom of my lonely soul!

Cat owners 😒

You’re such a funny guy but you need to learn how to edit your videos and to be less anxious talking, good luck