UN Dilemme
1887
UN Dilemme, published in 1887 by J.-K. Huysmans, is a novella that explores the themes of inheritance, social class, and manipulation in 19th-century Paris. The story follows the aftermath of the death of Jules, focusing on the legal and moral dilemmas surrounding his mistress, Sophie, who claims to be pregnant. Through sharp dialogue and character interactions, Huysmans critiques bourgeois greed and the societal expectations placed on women, making this work a significant commentary on the dynamics of power and language in society.
Editions
X-Ray
“Still, more than all the implausible fluff, it was the advertisements-neat, clean, set off in a box in the middle of some mendacious tale-that were ductile for dreaming. However much it smacked of that hyperbole necessary for sales purposes, he nonetheless remained astounded and tickled by the imperturbable guarantee in the announcement of a product that existed, that could be bought, a product which was not, in sum, the figment of a journalist's imagination, a ruse invented for the sake of a byline.””
— J.-K. Huysmans
