La-Bas (Decadence from Dedalus S.) [Paperback]

Joris Karl Huysmans (Author), Brendan King (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Decadence from Dedalus S. | Publication Date: November 1, 2001

First published in 1891, this is the first new translation in 77 years. The enervated anti-hero, Durtal, is writing a book about Gilles de Rais, child-murderer and comrade in arms of Joan of Arc. When he's not studying alchemy, visiting Rais' ruined castle and fantasizing about a mystery woman, he is pondering Catholicism with his friends. His sexual adventures and historical studies mesh when he's invited to witness a black mass The follow-up to A Rebours, La Bas takes Huysmans' quest for the exotic and extreme sensations a stage further.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The classic tale of satanism and sexual obsession in nineteenth-century Paris, in an attractive new edition...Strong meat for diseased imaginations. -- Time Out

About the Author

SUBJECT: Literature

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dedalus (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1873982747
• ISBN-13: 978-1873982747
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #800,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than the mis-translations of Keene Wallace, September 29, 2002

By 

J. Howard (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: La-Bas (Decadence from Dedalus S.) (Paperback)

It's unfortunate that the 1924 Keene Wallace translation is still so popular. Here is an example of why this new translation by Brendan King is better:

Keene Wallis:

"Asphalt from the street, leaves of henbane, datura, dried nightshade, and myrrh. These are perfumes delightful to Satan, our master."

Brendan King:

"Rue, leaves of henbane and thorn-apple, dried nightshade and myrtle, all fragrances pleasing to Satan, our master."

One can only wonder how many generations of unfortunate satanists, not knowing French, suffered serious trauma from inhalation of asphalt from the streets, instead of rue, due to Keene Wallis' erroneous translation...

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars LA - Bas = interesting social phenomenon..., May 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: La-Bas (Decadence from Dedalus) (Paperback)

I found this book more than engrossing, both with the protagonist as well as his research. However, more interesting to me was the general social outlook portrayed in this piece... we see a man discontent with the mass produced and the mediocre, a view on consumerism before it was called that. The book was writen in 1891 during the Industrial Revolution, and even though the factories do not even play a role in this book, you can clearly see their influence.

This book, although somewhat more introspective and more annoyingly sensationalized that is absolutely necessary, makes it abundantly clear how little we have progressed in thought in the last 100 years.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Translation, Beautiful Edition, April 20, 2007

By 

Samuel Wells "'Pataphysician, Absintheur" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: La-Bas (Decadence from Dedalus S.) (Paperback)

Dedalus publishers has outdone itself: this brilliant translation of JK Huysman's darkest and most controversial work arrives housed in a gorgeous softcover edition with cover art by fin-de-sicle artist Aubrey Beardsley.

Huysmans was an unapologetic royalist whose simultaneous lives in bohemia and the Church led to some rather perverse artistic output. "A Rebours", an earlier work, was heavily influenced by the poetry of Baudelaire and served as a strong influence on Oscar Wilde. "La Bas" is far beyond that worthy text -- it embraces depravity with a slow, sure stranglehold that you don't notice until it leaves you gasping for breath.

If you are interesting in reading and collecting historic decadent or transgressive literature, this edition will serve your needs well. As always with material from this era, it is very helpful to have a cursory knoweldge of fin-de-siecle' art and culture if you wish to reach a full understanding of the text.