The Inferno by Henri Barbusse (1908)

Name: The Inferno
Author: Henri Barbusse

The Inferno is a novel by Henri Barbusse, first published in 1916. It is set in the trenches of World War I and follows the story of a French soldier, Jean Dartemont, as he struggles to survive the horrors of war. The novel begins with Jean's arrival at the front lines, where he is immediately thrown into the chaos of battle. He is quickly overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of war, and he soon finds himself struggling to cope with the physical and psychological trauma of the conflict. As the novel progresses, Jean's experiences become increasingly surreal and nightmarish. He is haunted by visions of death and destruction, and he is forced to confront the moral ambiguity of war. He is also forced to confront his own mortality, as he is constantly in danger of being killed or maimed. The novel culminates in a powerful and moving climax, as Jean is forced to confront the ultimate horror of war: the death of his comrades. In the end, Jean is left with a newfound appreciation for life, and a newfound understanding of the human cost of war.

By Henri Barbusse · First published 1908 · Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, War Fiction · 18 chapters · 41,846 words

First lines

In introducing M. Barbusse's most important book to a public already familiar with "Under Fire," it seems well to point out the relation of the author's philosophy to his own time, and the kinship of his art to that of certain other contemporary French and English novelists.

"L'Enfer" has been more widely read and discussed in France than any other realistic study since the days of Zola. The French sales of the volume, in 1917 alone, exceeded a hundred thousand copies, a popularity all the more remarkable from the fact that its appeal is based as much on its philosophical substance as on the story which it tells.

What this Textopian page supports

The Inferno is listed on Textopian as a novel by Henri Barbusse, dated 1908 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Henri Barbusse
Date: 1908 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, War Fiction, Drama, Literary Fiction
Length: 41,846 words
Structure: 18 chapters, 1,332 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Fiction — The Inferno is a novel written by Henri Barbusse, making it a work of fiction.
Historical Fiction — The Inferno is set during World War I, making it a work of historical fiction.
War Fiction — The Inferno is set during World War I and focuses on the experiences of a French soldier, making it a work of war fiction.
Drama — The Inferno is a story of a French soldier's experiences during World War I, making it a work of drama.