Des Esseintes

the doctor

The doctor is a medical authority whom Des Esseintes consults but often resists, embodying the conflict between decadent will and physical health.

Miss Urania

Des Esseintes is obsessed with Miss Urania as a symbol of masculine strength in a female form, using her to fuel his fantasies of power inversion.

Edgar Allan Poe

Des Esseintes venerates Poe as a kindred spirit of morbid imagination, finding in his works a mirror of his own neurotic sensibilities.

Gustave Moreau

Des Esseintes is captivated by Moreau's paintings, especially the Salomé images, which he interprets as the ultimate expression of perverse, exotic beauty.

De Falloux

De Falloux is a minor acquaintance whose conservative Catholic views contrast with Des Esseintes' decadent aestheticism, yet they share a circle of literary discussion.

Christ

Des Esseintes engages with Christ as a figure of decadent suffering and aesthetic paradox, blending blasphemy with a perverse reverence.

Auguste Langlois

Auguste Langlois is a craftsman or supplier whom Des Esseintes employs to realize his elaborate decorative schemes.

Jan Luyken

Des Esseintes collects Luyken's engravings of religious persecution, finding a morbid aesthetic pleasure in their depictions of suffering.

Christ

Des Esseintes engages with Christ as a figure of decadent suffering and aesthetic paradox, blending blasphemy with a perverse reverence.

Gustave Moreau

Des Esseintes is captivated by Moreau's paintings, especially the Salomé images, which he interprets as the ultimate expression of perverse, exotic beauty.

Jan Luyken

Des Esseintes collects Luyken's engravings of religious persecution, finding a morbid aesthetic pleasure in their depictions of suffering.

Edgar Allan Poe

Des Esseintes venerates Poe as a kindred spirit of morbid imagination, finding in his works a mirror of his own neurotic sensibilities.

Notice

The protagonist, last descendant of a degenerate noble line, is introduced as a frail, nervous, and disillusioned man of thirty who seeks solitude after a life of debauchery and societal disgust.

Against the Grain

The protagonist, retreating from society into an artificial environment.

I

The protagonist, who is finalizing his move to Fontenay and designing his house to reflect his aesthetic and solitary ideals.

Chapter II

Arranges his household with meticulous detail, devising a code of signals and a medieval costume for his servant to maintain solitude. He expounds his philosophy of artifice over nature, recalling his disgust with Parisian society.

Chapter III

The protagonist, whose literary tastes and bibliophilic passions are explored in depth as he examines his collection of Latin works.

IV

The protagonist, who has decorated a turtle's shell with jewels and uses a liquor organ to stimulate memories and sensations.

Chapter V

Curates his art collection to escape contemporary society, finding solace in works that evoke ancient corruption and nightmare visions.

VI

Reflects on his past manipulations and experiments with human behavior.

VII

The protagonist, living in solitude, reviews his past and suffers from nervous and physical ailments.

Chapter VIII

The protagonist, who reflects on syphilis and artificiality, then suffers a nightmare about the disease.

Chapter IX

Reflects on his past mistresses and experiences a resurgence of carnal desires.

The Perfume Experiment

Awakens feeling well but soon suffers olfactory hallucinations; engages in a detailed experiment with perfumes to cure himself.

Chapter XI

The protagonist, whose solitude has become unbearable, leading him to plan a trip to London as a desperate attempt to escape his mental anguish.

XII

Returns home and reviews his library, finding new appreciation for his books and bindings; reflects on Baudelaire and Barbey d'Aurévilly.

Chapter XIII

Suffers from heat-induced nervous collapse, reflects on the struggle for existence and the madness of procreation, and critiques modern society's hypocrisy.

XIV

Continues his literary analysis, expressing dissatisfaction with many contemporary writers and reaffirming his preference for Baudelaire and Poe.

XV

Suffers from worsening dyspepsia, hallucinations, and physical deterioration; recalls his childhood experiences with religious music at the Jesuit college.

XVI

Des Esseintes is forced to leave his Fontenay retreat due to doctor's orders, experiencing rage, despair, and a sense of impending doom as he contemplates returning to Parisian society.