French Decadent Literature: Where to Start?

I asked this question after first dipping my toe in French Decadent literature. Fact is: There are no obvious starting points. No monolithic writers that scream to be read first. No Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Honoré de Balzac, or Emile Zola. And even though J.-K. Huysmans’ A rebours is the movement’s bible and was one of the first books I read, I’m not sure I’d recommend it as a starting point. (Drawing: Henri Charles Guerard, Count Robert de Montesquiou-Fezensac 1894)

Luckily, there was a booming, highly-competitive newspaper industry in fin de siècle France. [For a peek into this world, read Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant]. Writers who could draw in readers were paid by the word, and the sensationalistic, lurid, and/or purposefully shocking style of Decadent fiction was perfect for that task. Many Parisian writers made a living churning out content for newspapers with the result that the short story seems to enjoy greater emphasis in Decadent literature than other literary movements. And short story collections are an excellent place to start in sampling many authors or a range of output from one author. 

In my opinion, the best general collection is French Decadent Tales, edited and translated by Stephen Romer (Oxford, 230 pages). Romer’s excellent introduction describes the period’s various genres of short stories, offers a brief bio of each author, and discusses what Decadent literature is. Not all the writers truly belong to the Decadent Movement (Maupassant was a Naturalist, Rodenbach a Symbolist), but pillars such as Jean Lorrain, Catulle Mendes, Octave Mirbeau, Remy de Gourmont, and Marcel Schwob are represented. 

A weightier investment of time is The Decadent Reader, edited by Asti Hustvedt (Zone, 1,000+ pages). You’ll get a generous helping of relevant and illuminating scholarly analysis and short stories by most of the writers mentioned above. While there is overlap between the Zone and Oxford collections, it’s not enough to preclude buying both, especially since The Decadent Reader includes several novels not easily obtained on their own. The best of these is Monsieur Venus by Rachilde.

Two collections edited by Brian Stableford should be mentioned, though I have not read them: The Dedalus Book of Decadence (Dedalus, two volumes) and Decadence and Symbolism, a Showcase Anthology (Snuggly Books). Both include extensive introductions/analyses and a much wider range of authors than either the Zone or the Oxford collections. I have purchased both, plan to read them, and have every reason to believe they will be of high quality.

I can personally recommend three author-specific collections from Snuggly Books. Nightmares of an Ether Drinker by Jean Lorrain is straight-up lurid Decadence, while Studies of Death by Count Eric Stenbock is bit more imagistic. The Double Star and Other Occult Fantasies by Jane de La Vaudere is not quite as good as the other two but makes up for any deficit with the spice of its over-the-top occultism.

So, there you have it. Myriad cornucopias of dark Decadent delights! If you enjoy any of these, then dive into the movement without fear. The analyses included in any of the four collections can guide you to authors who will best match your individual taste.