Why is Georges Rodenbach’s Bruges-la-morte considered an example of decadent fiction?

Georges Rodenbach’s Bruges-la-morte (1892) is widely considered the epitome of decadent fiction within the context of the Belgian literary renaissance.1

The novel aligns with the Decadent movement—a late 19th-century literary trend often synonymous with fin de siècle—through its rejection of the materialistic preoccupations of industrialized society. As a member of the La Jeune Belgique circle, Rodenbach embraced the philosophy of art for art’s sake, focusing on aesthetic expression rather than social utility.21

The work is characterized by its moody, ruminative atmosphere, which evokes the "interior landscape of a self-absorbed mind". By portraying Bruges as a "dead city," Rodenbach utilizes the setting to mirror the protagonist's internal state, emphasizing themes of silence, nostalgia, and spirituality. This inward-looking, atmospheric style is a hallmark of the Decadent and Symbolist traditions, which sought to explore the inner meanings of life and the subjective experience over objective reality.31