The Book-bills of Narcissus: An Account Rendered

by Richard Le Gallienne (Creator)

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160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1891

About the author

Richard Le Gallienne was an English author and poet. The American actress Eva Le Gallienne was his daughter, by his second marriage.

Reviews

[Jim Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel’s very thin plot, about the life of a fictional fin-de-siècle poet Narcissus, gives LeGallienne the framework to discuss the poetry and poets of the 1890’s. And who better to analyze the trends of his day than this minor poet, member of the Rhymer’s Club, and friend of Oscar Wilde? This is an excellent source for those interested in hearing first-hand the influences of the poets of the day, especially those we would consider part of the Decadent School. LaGallienne traces the development of the young poet, first influenced by rare volumes found in used book stores. He is seduced by the fad for esoteric religions—The Catholic Revival, the Buddhists and the Theosophists, only to be disappointed at their worldly attempts to make money. The poet also loves his fellow poet, a man of genius, at whose feet he worships and whom he is shocked to find lives a conventional Victorian life with a wife and children that he tells bedtime stories to (the author seems to recalling visits to the Wilde home). And most importantly, he is inspired by the sight of pretty faces--the miller’s daughter, the public schoolgirl--women he falls in love with and then leaves for the next pretty face having gotten “a sonnet or two” from the encounters. All the influences and influencers of the Decadent Movement are mentioned and quoted here: Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, Rosetti, Swinbourne, Robert Browning, Keats and Shelley—an entertaining catalog of the Decadent Imagination written in an overly flowery and allusion-packed style.