''En Route'' is a novel by the French writer

Joris-Karl Huysmans Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans (, ; 5 February 1848 – 12 May 1907) was a French novelist and art critic who published his works as Joris-Karl Huysmans (, variably abbreviated as J. K. or J.-K.). He is most famous for the novel ''À rebou ...

and was first published in 1895. It is the second of Huysmans's books to feature the character Durtal, a thinly disguised portrait of the author himself. Durtal had already appeared in '' Là-bas'', investigating

Satanism Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...

. ''En Route'' and the two subsequent two novels, '' The Cathedral'' (french: La Cathédrale) and ''

The Oblate ''The Oblate'' (french: L'Oblat) is the last novel by the French writer Joris-Karl Huysmans, first published in 1903. ''The Oblate'' is the final book in Huysmans' cycle of four novels featuring the character Durtal, a thinly disguised portrait ...

'' (french: L'Oblat), trace his conversion to

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, an experience which reflects the author's own. As Huysmans explained:

"The plot of the novel is as simple as it could be. I've taken the principal character of ''Là-Bas'', Durtal, had him converted and sent him to a
Trappist The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...
monastery. In studying his conversion, I've tried to trace the progress of a soul surprised by the gift of grace, and developing in an ecclesiastical atmosphere, to the accompaniment of mystical literature, liturgy, and plainchant, against a background of all that admirable art which the Church has created."

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External links

Full French text

English translation by C. Kegan Paul
at

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* 1895 French novels Novels by Joris-Karl Huysmans {{1890s-novel-stub

References

Further reading

External links