Down There

work by Huysmans

Also known as: “Là-Bas: A Journey into the Self”, “Là-bas”

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June 25, 2026

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"Down There" is a novel by Joris-Karl Huysmans, published in 1891. It is also known by its English title, Lâ-bas. The novel explores the occult revival in 1880s France, interweaving a narrative about 19th-century Satanists with a historical account of the medieval Satanist Gilles de Rais. The protagonist, Durtal, is an autobiographical character who also appears in Huysmans's later works, reflecting the author's spiritual journey. Huysmans's novels, including "Down There," are considered examples of the Decadent movement in French literature, characterized by a focus on aestheticism and spiritual exploration.12

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black mass
Joris-Karl Huysmans’s novel Là-bas (1891; Down There) describes a black mass celebrated in late 19th-century France.
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Joris-Karl Huysmans’s novel Là-bas (1891; Down There) describes a black mass celebrated in late 19th-century France.
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Joris-Karl Huysmans
…ambitious and controversial Là-bas (1891; Down There) tells of the occultist revival that occurred in France in the 1880s. A tale of 19th-century Satanists interwoven with a life of the medieval Satanist Gilles de Rais, the book introduced what was clearly an autobiographical protagonist, Durtal, who reappeared in Huysmans’s last…
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…ambitious and controversial Là-bas (1891; Down There) tells of the occultist revival that occurred in France in the 1880s. A tale of 19th-century Satanists interwoven with a life of the medieval Satanist Gilles de Rais, the book introduced what was clearly an autobiographical protagonist, Durtal, who reappeared in Huysmans’s last…
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French literature
The Decadents
Là-Bas: A Journey into the Self) combined a heavy-footed study of Satanism in modern-day Paris with a documentary investigation of the exploits of the medieval Bluebeard, Gilles de Rais. As Huysmans changed direction yet again, toward a Roman Catholicism characterized by a mixture of right-wing…
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Là-Bas: A Journey into the Self) combined a heavy-footed study of Satanism in modern-day Paris with a documentary investigation of the exploits of the medieval Bluebeard, Gilles de Rais. As Huysmans changed direction yet again, toward a Roman Catholicism characterized by a mixture of right-wing…
Read More