Although wilde never gives a specific date for dorian gray, his inclusion of the yellow booka looselyveiled version of a rebours by j. The impact that a rebours had upon dorian gray was profound. The only main character, des esseintes has lived a life that mirrors dorian gray, and dorian indeed reads this book in the picture of dorian gray penguin classics. For a taste of a similar sort of aestheticism and decadence, and also an example of the intertextuality of dorian gray, try a rebours by huysmann. Against the grain, novel by joriskarl huysmans, published in french as a rebours in 1884. The brother of sybil tracking down dorian was just that. Fearing the story was indecent, the magazines editor deleted roughly five hundred words before publication without wildes knowledge. Joriskarl huysmans a rebours pdf the infamous inspiration for the novel which slowly corrupts oscar wildes dorian gray is translated by robert baldick with an introduction by. Arguably, you could say the story contains the message that its whats on the inside that counts, and that good looks are no excuse for. The yellow book the british library the british library.
The topic was to trace the influence of guy huysmans a rebours and the conclusion of the renaissance by walter pater in oscar wildes picture of dorian gray. After some time lord henry recommends dorian gray to read a book that has a yellow book. The narrative does not reveal the title of the french novel, but at trial, wilde said that the novel referred to in dorian gray was a rebours against nature, 1884 by joriskarl huysmans, but then denied the book is the one he intended to refer to. About against nature a rebours the infamous inspiration for the novel which slowly corrupts oscar wildes dorian gray is translated by robert baldick with an introduction by patrick mcguinness in penguin classics. In the novel lord henry and dorian gray often meet to discuss life matters and the beauty in life. A rebours opened a new world for dorian, not one to be delved into lightly. While reading a rebours and the portrait of dorian gray side by side, i was struck by a sense of hysteric madness in both dorian and des esseintes. Decadent novel a rebours, or, against nature the british library. Decadent novel a rebours, or, against nature the british. Against nature huysmans oscar wilde and the french. Either translated as against nature or against the grain, the title refers to the central process of the book, in which an aristocrat, des esseintes, completely withdraws himself from.
In the prudish victorianera, the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde heralded the beginning of aesthetic writing. Classisms relationship with objects from the orient in huysmans against nature. It is, in fact, a yellow book which corrupts dorian gray in oscar wildes novel, the picture of dorian gray. Apr 22, 2015 the most beautifully written book in my experience. Wildes novel the picture of dorian gray is just the sort of book that made victorian england shiver. Its the yellow book dorian reads in the text, and is a bizarre book with no real plot, although it is still very interesting and dense. Its a kind of living allegory, a visible interpretation of dorian s soul. Oscar wilde was evidently fascinated by the book, and in the picture of dorian gray, dorian reads this poisonous french novel and is obsessed by it.
Digital dorian home of the digital dorian gray ibook. A summary of chapters nineten in oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray. A wildly original findesiecle novel, against nature contains only one character. The symbolic use of art in the picture of dorian gray throughout history, art has played a major role in portraying the structure of society and the different roles people play in it.
Against nature that importantly links the two novels, in your opinion, for example with regard to common themes, characters, moods, ideas. As an art critic, he discovered degas and odilon redon. A rebour di huysman e il ritratto di dorian gray di wilde. I aver that dorian and des esseintes were trying to escape nature by creating fake nature, in des esseintes. Unlike many introductory overtures, the composer and lyricist. It was also translated into english as against nature. In a rebours and the picture of dorian gray, beauty presents itself as artifice and form, yet gestures beyond itself to a transcendence of personal and divine presence. For this interpretive reading exercise, please pick one passage one sentence or up to one paragraph long from both wildes the.
I read against nature by joriskarl huysmans, a copy of which i swiped years ago from a professors freebook shelf. In the picture of dorian gray, dorian has been poisoned by. Feb 02, 2014 a rebours against nature joriskarl huysmans title joriskarl huysmans originally thought he would title the book seul alone, but later changed the title when the book was published. It sets up the character development and the characters destruction of dorian gray. He will make dorian gray in his own image, dominating his mind and soul, and will create a new way for dorian to live his life as an experiment. Basically, the picture represents dorian s inner self, which becomes uglier with each passing hour and with every crime he commits. Lord henry as the incarnation of the devil, and basil as an. Oct 16, 2019 the book which dorian accuses henry of poisoning him with below is a thinly veiled reference to j. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the picture of dorian gray and what it means. Wildes novella then asserts twice that dorian gray had been poisoned by a book 290, 352. The psychological affects of des esseintes are much more clearly plotted for us than those of dorian as the words neurosis, hysteria, and psychology are repeated throughout the novel. Haunting and madness in both the picture of dorian gray. The picture of dorian gray was the book mentioned at the end of.
The sins of dorian gray 1983 madefortelevision directed by tony maylam. However, instead of employing useful writing tactics to imitate a rebours, the similar superfluous. It endorsed selfsatisfaction over morals, dealt with drug abuse, homosexuality, murder, death and decay, and thus obviously caught the. His writing inspired oscar wildeand corrupted dorian gray. This is the earliest edition the british library holds of a rebours, a novel published by the french writer and civil servant joriskarl huysmans in 1884 what does the title mean. Taken with the idea, dorian imagines a scenario in which the painting will age as he stays youthful.
In the picture of dorian gray, dorian has been poisoned. Il ritratto di dorian gray streaming 2009 cb01streaming ita. Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul. In the long ninth chapter, dorian very much like des esseintes in a rebours extols his morbid tastes in literature, painting and. This yellow book is understood by critics to be a rebours. The yellow book, given as a gift to dorian by lord henry, is an allusion to j. It follows a parisian in the nineteenth century who seeks all the passions and modes of thought that belonged to every century except his own 91.
The picture of dorian gray is a gothic and philosophical novel by oscar wilde, first published complete in the july 1890 issue of lippincotts monthly magazine. The yellow book was a fashionable magazine which ran from 189497, taking its name from the notorious covering into which controversial french novels were placed at the time. It is widely believed that a rebours is the poisonous french novel that leads to the downfall of dorian gray in oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray. We have in wilde the ultimate aesthete, a disciple of walter pater, a dandy who in his personal life. The present study argues that wilde took from huysmanss novel a basic perspective upon the role of beauty in life. In both works, this has to do with surface and depth. The affair caused a good deal of scandal, and douglass father, the marquess of queensberry, eventually criticized it publicly. Very interesting in the yellow backed book given to dorian. Against the grain a rebours joriskarl huysmans read. The penguin classics editions annotations note that the basis of the story, magical pictures that capture the soul or life essence of its subjects, are very old indeed. Moreover, the irony that we now see in this preface is crucial when it declares all art is perfectly useless.
At the end of chapter 10 and the beginning of chapter 11, wilde talks about a book that lord henry gave to dorian. This film version certainly does not equal the production quality of albert lewins the picture of dorian gray 1945, but it is superior in several other ways. The picture of dorian gray and its preface in a position of dependence in relation to its predecessor from 1890. In 1891, the same year that the second edition of the picture of dorian gray was published, wilde began a homosexual relationship with lord alfred douglas, an aspiring but rather untalented poet. Read about decadent novel a rebours, or, against nature on the british librarys. The picture of dorian gray critical evaluation essay. The affair caused a good deal of scandal, and douglass father, the marquess of. In the picture of dorian gray what book did lord henry give. Although wilde, in letters, identified the novel as imaginary, it is based in part on the nineteenthcentury french novel a rebours against the grain or against.
Foremost, the casting of helmut berger as dorian is perfect. Both of them, like oscar wilde, consider beauty as. Posted on february 3, 2014 updated on february 3, 2014. A rebours contains many themes that became associated with the symbolist aesthetic. Linking the picture of dorian gray and huysmans a rebours. The picture of dorian gray tells the story of a young man whose portrait ages instead of him. Was this book against nature or a rebours by joriskarl huysmans. A metaexample is that the novel is somewhat inspired by the french book a rebours, which is the yellow book dorian is always reading. In oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray, a major corrupting influence on dorian is the yellow book which lord henry sends over to amuse him after the suicide of his first love. The protagonist of that book is a representation of what dorian could become a robotic being with no true emotions and no true relationshipslooking for only the next new sensation.
Read about decadent novel a rebours, or, against nature on the british librarys discovering literature website. I havent read that book, but i heard about it and its definitely on my to. A summary of symbols in oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray. Il ritratto di dorian gray 2009 streaming ita cb01. Wilde parole a rebours, come il romanzo francese velenosi, che corrotto dorian grey. He sins with impunity and commits increasingly vile acts while his. In my paper, i will outline how the protagonists in the picture of dorian gray and a rebours rejected nature and urban society in favour of their own constructed artificial environments within, or just outside of, the urban cityspace. In oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray 1891, a major corrupting influence on dorian is the yellow book which lord henry sends over to amuse him after. Perhaps its most famous fan was oscar wilde, who was heavily influenced by a rebours in writing the picture of dorian gray, including in his description of the novel without a plot that helps lead dorian astray. Later, when wilde wrote the picture of dorian gray, he made a book have great impact on dorian gray. For this interpretive reading exercise, please pick one passage one sentence or up to one paragraph long from both wildes the picture of dorian gray and from huysmans a rebours against the grain. Anthony perkins as henry lord this version sees dorian gray as an actress and photographic model who becomes immortal, while an audition tape she made ages for her. The picture of dorian gray was the book mentioned at the. In the midst of grays descent into everdeepening pits of depravity, he is given a yellow book by lord henry wotton, which, from the description that wilde gives of its lurid plot is quite obviously huysmans decadent masterpiece, a rebours, a novel which depicts the protagonists life of sheer sensual selfindulgence leading, via.
Victorian england and the picture of dorian gray 2083 words. Posing for a portrait, dorian gray talks with lord henry wotton, who says that men should pursue their sensual longings, but laments that only the young get to do so. Artificial milieus and hyperreality in huysmans a rebours and wildes the picture of dorian gray. In both its style and its subject, the work epitomizes the decadence of late 19thcentury french elite culture. In doing so, it broke from naturalism and became the ultimate example of decadent literature, inspiring works such as oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray 1890. A study of love, artifice, and transcendence in joriskarl huysmanss a rebours and oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray. Digital dorian gray is meant to introduce readers to a new experience of oscar wildes classic novel.
I havent read that book, but i heard about it and its definitely on my toread list. Joriskarl huysmans 18481907 was one of the most prominent stars of the european art scene at the end of the 19 th century, and yet he remains little known to the general public. In oscar wildes novel the picture of dorian gray, art seems to dictate the life of young dorian gray to the point of. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The book is a rebours or backwards, in which the hero tries to experience all the sensations of the past by living backwards. The picture of dorian gray, published in 1890, carries a similar theme to a novel published previously to the work. A study of love, artifice, and transcendence in joriskarl huysmans s a rebours and oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray.
The french title under which the book was published is a rebours which has been translated to against nature or against the grail. A rebour di huysman e il ritratto di dorian gray di wilde appunto di italiano che prende in esame due romanzi. You do get glimpses in this novel of des esseintes hedonistic lifestyle before he seeks rest. A successful literary dinner lippincotts magazine, arthur conan doyle and oscar wilde. In chapter 20 of the picture of dorian gray, dorian is presented to us as a figure torn between reforming and alleviating himself from the sin and corruption he has perpetuated on others, and pursuing his exclamatory yearning. What houellebecq learned from huysmans the new yorker. The picture of dorian gray was a grim twist and deconstruction of the magical portrait trope, which would have been well known to wildes audience at the time of its writing.
One critic called parts of the book silly and artificial. The present study argues that wilde took from huysmanss novel a basic. According to my research when oscar wilde was on trial for tpodg, he said the book dorian reads is a rebours by joriskarl huysmans 1884. The protagonist of joriskarl huysmans against nature 1884, des esseintes, is a dandy who demonstrates a strong dislike towards the bourgeoisie, who, in his view, is exclusively preoccupied with swindling and moneymaking huysmans 57. Essays and criticism on oscar wildes the picture of dorian gray critical evaluation. A rebours provided wilde with a plotdriving model, an aesthetic, which was ethical and ultimately theological in character. This decadent masterpiece is anything but a vehicle for the propagation of middleclass morality. In reading the picture of dorian gray and in hearing conflicting thoughts about morality in the novel, i couldnt help but create a mental division between two types of morals.
In real life, huysmans was a civil servant and worked for the french interior ministry, on whose stationery he wrote his. The story is familiar oscar wildes dorian gray wishes his painting would grow old whilst he remain young. A rebours see first page which sets the theme for oscar wildes only novel a picture of dorian grey. Artificial milieus and hyperreality in huysmans a rebours and. Oct 30, 2012 the presence or lack of a moral in oscar wildes novel the picture of dorian gray is a topic of uncertainty. In the barnes and nobles version of the picture of dorian gray, it is stated at the very bottom of the page on 128 that it is a french book called a rebours or translated into english as against. In the picture of dorian gray what book did lord henry. The book which dorian accuses henry of poisoning him with below is a thinly veiled reference to j.