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Abstract

Joris-Karl Huysmans, one of the most prominent French writers of the turn of the twentieth century, began his literary career as a naturalist, a promising disciple of Emile Zola. He departed from these ideals in his best-known novel A rebours (1884), considered the “bible of decadence”. Its protagonist, the eccentric misanthrope des Esseintes, withdraws from society to indulge in contemplation in solitude, studying rare prints and seeking beauty in the singular. He appreciates the scandalising works of writers such as Barbey d,Aurevilly and Baudelaire. These authors have been accused of promoting satanism. Durtal, the protagonist of the novel Lă-bas, goes even further, in which we find contemporary echoes of satanism, attempts to revive the ritual of the black mass or a fascination with cruelty. Ultimately, however – and this is best evidenced in subsequent works ( En route, La Cathédrale, L,Oblat) satanism brings disillusionment. A return to the Christian religion, which Huysmans nevertheless interprets in an original way, becomes inevitable.
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Authors and Affiliations

Jan Tomkowski
1

  1. Instytut Badań Literackich PAN, Warszawa
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Abstract

Paul Valéry (1871–1945), the great French poet and essayist, did not finished his last work Mon Faust, however it was published after his death. It is poetic and philosophical drama in two parts. The story of the eponymous hero takes place in our times. Unlike in Johann Wolfgang Goethe,s Faust, the devil, not a man, is here tempted. It is obvious, because for Valéry the devil is not attractive enough to be the tempter par excellence. The unknown God is probably absent in the modern world, whereas man is lonely, tormented uncertainty. Mon Faust has not been translated into Polish, however, it is performed in theaters around the world from time to time.
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Authors and Affiliations

Jan Tomkowski
1

  1. Instytut Badań Literackich PAN, Warszawa
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Abstract

Tadeusz Breza (1905–1970), once one of the most popular Polish writers of the twentieth century, is today one of the authors less and less read. On the other hand, his debut and arguably most outstanding novel, Adam Grywałd, has not lost its value. It has been treated as an achievement of psychologism, a testimony to his fascination with Proust,s work and a manifestation of homosexual themes. However, these are unsatisfactory interpretations and lead to the discovery of false mysteries. They obscure the psychological profiles of the individual characters. The real mystery perhaps concerns a frightening encounter with nothingness, death, destruction. Read in this way, the novel becomes a truly intriguing work.
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Authors and Affiliations

Jan Tomkowski
1

  1. Instytut Badań Literackich PAN, Warszawa

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