Customer Reviews

The Book of Masks: An Anthology of French Symbolist & Decadent Writing (Atlas Arkhive)

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Erza Pound once wrote, "Gourmont prepared our era." He was one of the most original writers and thinkers of symbolism in its early days. His characters seem to exist in a bizarre dream-world ; where limits and rules seem arbitrary, ready to change and erupt violently at anytime. A precarious dark fantacy of mystical desire, perverse sexuality, gender confusion, and other 'depraved' issues decadent literature was then concerned with. These stories seek to explain and understand the repressed, often depraved, desires each of us have hidden deep down in the blackest regions of our soul. The theme of female sexuality, with its power to manipulate, over-power, and seduce is also apparent in his many femme fatale characters. Jam-packed with subconsious nightmares, fetishism, deviant behaivor, grotesque, deranged minds, this book is sure to please(and disturb) any fans of Baudelair, Huysmans, or any other decadent/symbolist writers in general.Perhaps even more relevent today...

"the book of masks" is a fascinating, engrossing read from the first page on. gourmont offers poignant commentary on the worth of each individual writer, although more often than not he lets his personal view distort the actual facts of the various writers' lives. the only writer i didn't like in this collection was andre gide, an eye watering bore who shouldn't really be categorized as a 'decadent', i don't think. and the story by moreas about the mother coming onto her son was a bit nasty. but all of these stories have beautiful touches of mystical, otherworldly, occult and sometimes perverse elements to them. a must