false 40058434 1479736 210255 0140447636 9780140447637 82 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172715751m/210255.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172715751s/210255.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210255.Against_Nature 4.00 522 Against Nature follows its sole character, Des Esseintes, a decadent, ailing aristocrat who retreats to an isolated villa where he indulges his taste for luxury and excess. Veering between nervous excitability and debilitating ennui, he gluts his aesthetic appetites with classical literature and art, exotic jewels (with which he fatally encrusts the shell of his tortoise), rich perfumes, and a kaleidoscope of sensual experiences. The original handbook of decadence, Against Nature exploded "like a grenade" (in the words of its author) and has enjoyed a cult readership from its publication to the present day.]]> 123088 3.95 1057 161 1884 2 0 false Fri Jan 30 11:19:33 -0800 2009 Sun Dec 14 00:13:05 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 30 11:19:33 -0800 2009