Les Flaireurs

work by Van Lerberghe

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July 15, 2026

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Les Flaireurs is a macabre prose drama written by Belgian poet and short-story writer Charles Van Lerberghe. Published in 1889, it is considered an early work in the "theater of anguish" movement, influenced by playwright Henrik Ibsen. Although Van Lerberghe later disowned the work, it, along with a piece by Maurice Maeterlinck, marked the beginning of this dramatic style.1

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Charles Van Lerberghe
…work, the macabre prose drama Les Flaireurs (1889; “The Trackers”), owes much to Henrik Ibsen. Though it was later disowned by its author, Les Flaireurs (together with one of Maeterlinck’s early works) marks the beginning of the Symbolist “theater of anguish.”
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…work, the macabre prose drama Les Flaireurs (1889; “The Trackers”), owes much to Henrik Ibsen. Though it was later disowned by its author, Les Flaireurs (together with one of Maeterlinck’s early works) marks the beginning of the Symbolist “theater of anguish.”
Read More