The Cathedral

By Joris-Karl Huysmans

Book Overview

Joris-Karl Huysmans's "The Cathedral" transports readers to the heart of medieval France, immersing them in the era's fervent religious devotion and architectural grandeur. A testament to faith and artistry, the novel explores the profound significance of the cathedral as both a physical structure and a spiritual symbol.

As a work of historical fiction, "The Cathedral" offers a meticulously detailed vision of the Middle Ages. Huysmans delves into the intricacies of religious life, crafting a narrative that resonates with timeless themes of belief, doubt, and the search for meaning. This edition preserves the author's original vision, presenting a faithful reproduction of a classic work of literary and religious fiction. Readers interested in historical novels, religious themes, and the rich tapestry of the Middle Ages will find this book a compelling and enduring read.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 102302005X
• ISBN13: 9781023020053
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Anson Street Press
• Length: 270 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Not JK Husmans' best, but still essential

An amazingly detailed and analytical description of a very beutiful place, Notre Dame de Chartres. Understand that the Cathedral Huysmans describes is true gothic architecture at its most extraordinary, and Huysmans really puts his heart into this work. The pages display Huysmans' knowledge of Catholic art, saints (especially martyrs), iconography, and, especially, Notre Dame de Chartres. Huysmans weaves into this the tale of Durtal, the decadent former Satanist now Catholic zealot, as he visits some pious friends in Chartres. Joris Karl's love for this magnificant building, combined with his dedication to realism, yields a compelling account of the cathedral. However, unlike La Bas, En Rade, and En Route, the plot line is somewhat thin, with Durtal coming in second to a building, albeit a beautiful one. Still it is a must read for any serious Huysmans fan, Gothic architecture aficiandos, or anybody who is visiting Chartres and really wnats to know what they're looking at. For contrast, read Au Rebouirs, an equally exacting description of Huysmans' decadent, misanthropic lifestyle and thought written 15 years earlier. Curiously, Huysmans' disdain for humanity at large shines thorugh, even in the Cathedral.

The Cathedral

This is the second to last book in the Durtal series, and describes that character's further aesthetic adventures. It is at once an awesome essay on the architecture of the cathedral and a loose story of Durtal's spiritual delimma. Few writer's have such knowledge in their work, and even fewer have been as inovative in their writing. To those who liked La Bas, The Cathedral is a must.