Dive into the mesmerizing world of Joris-Karl Huysmans’ 1884 masterpiece, known as the Bible of Decadence and famously adored by Oscar Wilde. In Against Nature (or Against The Grain in this translation), we follow the reclusive Duc Jean Floressas Des Esseintes, a life-long aesthete who retreats from society into his own carefully crafted artificial paradises. However, this journey is not a solemn reflection; Des Esseintes grand ambitions lead to ludicrous failures, resulting in both personal dissatisfaction and health troubles, while an unsuspecting tortoise becomes an unwitting victim of his eccentric theories in a delightfully absurd fifth chapter. This is a novel best enjoyed in small doses, as John Howards translation can be a bit cumbersome. For those who dare to embrace the experience, relish the captivating tales of chapters 5, 8, 9, and 11, featuring a jewel-encrusted tortoise, an audacious lady acrobat, and nightmarish orchids that provoke the lament, “All is Syphilis.” While some chapters may be skipped without regret, what remains is a tantalizing glimpse into a world of exquisite decadence. (Summary by Martin Geeson)