JK. Huysmans by Amy Lowell (1898)
"Against the Grain" is a novel by JK. Huysmans, first published in 1885. The story follows the life of a young man named Jean des Esseintes, who is disillusioned with the superficiality and hypocrisy of modern society. Des Esseintes retreats into his own world, where he indulges in his love for rare books, art, and music. However, as he becomes more and more detached from reality, he begins to question the meaning of his existence and the value of his pursuits. Throughout the novel, Huysmans explores themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the search for authenticity in a society that values material wealth and social status above all else. The book is known for its dense, philosophical prose and its critique of the decadence and excess of late 19th-century France. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
By Amy Lowell · First published 1898 · Genre: Biography, Non-Fiction, Literary Criticism · 418 words
First lines
A flickering glimmer through a window-pane, / A dim red glare through mud bespattered glass, / Cleaving a path between blown walls of sleet / Across uneven pavements sunk in slime / To scatter and then quench itself in mist.
And struggling, slipping, often rudely hurled / Against the jutting angle of a wall, / And cursed, and reeled against, and flung aside / By drunken brawlers as they shuffled past, / A man was groping to what seemed a light.
His eyelids burnt and quivered with the strain / Of looking, and against his temples beat / The all enshrouding, suffocating dark.
What this Textopian page supports
JK. Huysmans is listed on Textopian as a short story by Amy Lowell, dated 1898 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Amy Lowell
- Date: 1898 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Biography, Non-Fiction, Literary Criticism
- Length: 418 words
- Structure: 1 section, 8 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for JK. Huysmans by Amy Lowell
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Biography — Primarily, 'JK. Huysmans' is a biography, as Amy Lowell explores the life and works of famed French novelist JK. Huysmans.
- Non-Fiction — The book is based on factual information about Huysmans' life and work, thus fitting into the non-fiction genre.
- Literary Criticism — Lowell documents and analyzes Huysmans' work in detail, placing the book in the literary criticism genre.
Tags
French literature · Symbolism · Decadence movement · Paris · 19th century · Naturalism · Existentialism · Philosophy · Aesthetics · Criticism · Literary theory · Art history