Jean Lorrain, né Paul Duval, fut un poète et romancier français associé à l'école symboliste. Dédicacé au dandysme et écrivain ouvertement homosexuel, Lorrain explora des thèmes à travers ses recueils de vers et ses romans et nouvelles décadents. Son œuvre se caractérise par une voix littéraire distinctive qui capturait les sensibilités de son époque. Il est resté dans les mémoires pour son approche stylistique unique et ses explorations thématiques au sein du mouvement symboliste.
'Monsieur de Phocas' est l'une oeuvre de la littérature décadente, et décrit les affres dans lesquelles se débat le duc de Fréneuse à la recherche d'une 'certaine transparence glauque' qu'il guette dans les pierres précieuses, les portraits, les statues, les yeux de jeunes prostituées.
The character of Monsieur de Bougrelon stands out as a unique and exotic creation, reflecting the intense interest in abnormal psychologies during the neo-Naturalist and Symbolist Movements. This literary work, originally serialized in 1897, combines calculated eccentricity with poignant themes, leaving a lasting impression on both the author and readers. Brian Stableford's fully annotated English translation brings this remarkable tale to contemporary audiences, ensuring its relevance and emotional depth resonate even today.
Stories to Read by Candlelight contains eight stories first published in the 1890s by the French author, Jean Lorrain, translated here into English by Patricia Worth. Jean draws the reader back in time to his provincial childhood when his grandmother's seamstress would tell him stories that gave him goose bumps and made him jump under the covers. Here he recounts these same stories, or invents new half-lived half-dreamed stories born of objects found in an attic or an old house. The characters have a mythical quality, whether they be fantastical beings who long to be real, like the embroidered Princess Mandosiane, or real people like Madame Gorgibus, accused of being a wicked fairy. The stories fall between legends and fairy tales, a genre favoured by a few Decadent authors protesting against realism and regretting technological progress.
The use of ether plays a significant role in shaping the feverish and nightmarish atmosphere of these decadent tales. Jean Lorrain's stories are infused with sophisticated and surreal apparitions, reflecting the influence of his drug use. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his ether consumption add an intriguing layer to the exploration of themes such as excess and the darker side of creativity in his work.
The book presents a series of gossipy character sketches featuring a diverse cast, including actresses, mystics, and gigolos, reflecting the eccentricity of its author, Jean Lorrain. Rather than following traditional short story structure, it unfolds like fragments from ongoing conversations, creating a unique literary collage. This collection captures the essence of Lorrain's life and persona, contributing to his controversial reputation for corrupting public morals through literature. The work serves as a vivid portrayal of fin de siècle society.
Set in the late 19th century, this collection features a semi-fictional travel narrative that explores cultural experiences through the lens of Jean Lorrain. Alongside "The Turkish Lady," readers will find "The Last Days of Venice," offering insights into the city's decline, and "The Princess of the Geese," a whimsical fairy tale that showcases Lorrain's flair for the decadent and fantastical. Together, these works highlight Lorrain's unique perspective on travel and storytelling during a transformative era.
The book marks Jean Lorrain's literary debut in 1882, showcasing his early talent for evoking a sense of sophistication and intrigue. Through a collection of poems, he captures the essence of the Decadent movement, stirring reactions in the vibrant cafés of Montmartre. Lorrain's work lays the groundwork for his later masterpieces, hinting at themes of excess and existential exploration that would define his career.
The book is a facsimile reprint of an original antiquarian work, highlighting its cultural significance. It may exhibit imperfections typical of aged texts, including marks, notations, and flawed pages. The publisher aims to protect and promote literary heritage by offering this high-quality edition that remains faithful to the original, making it accessible to a wider audience.
Exploring themes of decadence and immorality, this collection features ten tales by Jean Lorrain, a prominent figure of the Decadent Movement. These stories, presented in English for the first time, revolve around princes and princesses, transforming familiar fairy tale elements into dark narratives that evoke sensuality and voluptuousness. The conte cruel style invites readers to experience a twisted innocence, immersing them in a provocative and atmospheric journey.
No other writer of the fin-de-siEcle period undertook a more elaborate exploration of perversities and abnormalities than Jean Lorrain, and no one else went as far afield in the search for discoveries of that curious kind than he did. Perhaps, given the variety of human behavior, it was not possible for him actually to invent perversities that no one actually practiced, or were even tempted to practice, but what is certain is that no one ever examined the anatomy of eroticism, including its wilder extremes, with a greater analytical fervor. In this, the second collection of short stories by Jean Lorrain to be made available in English, exquisitely translated by Brian Stableford, psychological studies of amorous perversity are presented together with mock-folktales, giving further evidence of the amazing inventiveness and imagination of one of the key figures of the Decadent Movement.