The Dedalus Book of Decadence: Moral Ruins v. 1 (Decadence from Dedalus) [Paperback]

This anthology offers a unique assortment of poetry and short fiction from French and English decadents, all superbly translated and many not found elsewhere. For the decadent enthusiast, that alone is enough to buy the book. But if the decadent selections were entirely absent, I would still give this book 5 stars for Brian Stableford's introductory essay, which is actually comprised of eight chapters and reaches roughly eighty pages (1/3 of the book). I've read a number of introductions to anthologies and monographs concerning decadence, but no one writes with such candidness, eloquence, substance, and real familiarity with the decadent literature as does Stableford. Reading Stableford's essay inspires me to actually read decadent literature, something academics like Jennifer Birkett (Sins of the Fathers: Decadence in France, 1870-1914) and David Weir (Decadence and the Making of Modernism) can't impart.

Stableford's essay is lucid, cogent, and fun to read. No sentence is superfluous and every chapter is substantive without unnecessary digressions. He writes thoughtfully and never with the inaccessible erudition that plagues a lot of decadent studies. For the beginner to decadent literature, Stableford's essay is the veritable "Decadence 101" guide. He traces the origins of decadence, the movement as it developed in France, and the key elements of "decadent" writing. What is most useful even for the connoisseur of decadent literature is Stableford's examination of the decadent output in England, Russia, Italy, Germany, and America. The main proponents and short summaries of their best works are given. Stableford has clearly read an enormous number of works from the decadent oeuvre and his brief plot synopses certainly helped me seek out further readings of decadent fiction.

As for the sampler of prose, I will say that this anthology is not the best available. The Book of Masks: An Anthology of French Symbolist & Decadent Writing (Atlas Arkhive) is perhaps the better anthology of French decadent writing and The Dedalus Book Of English Decadence: Vile Emperors And Elegant Degenerates (Decadence from Dedalus) includes superior selections of English decadence. Stableford's sampler of French decadent texts is for the most part a good one with such representatives as Charles Baudelaire, Jean Lorrain, Paul Verlaine, Rachilde, Arthur Rimbaud, Remy de Gourmont, and Catulle Mendes. Lorrain's "Glass of Blood" is an enthralling and erotic mood piece about lesbianism. Rachilde's "The Grape-Gatherers of Sodom" is a simultaneously grotesque, violent, and poetic account of a group of Sodomites who encounter a young woman; the result is like a disturbing snuff film if I were to make a contemporary comparison. Mendes' "The Black Nightgown" is a striking work with pessimistic undertones about the concept of faithfulness and woman as sinful femme fatale.

Lorrain's "The Possessed" excavates the psychological paranoia and angst of one man's view of reality and the people in it: "I ask you, could there possibly exist beneath the grey November sky any more dismal and repugnant spectacle than the passengers on board a tram?" The most overtly decadent and memorable short story contained here is Rachilde's "The Panther" - this profound and shocking tale centers on a panther's horrible existence in Ancient Rome's gladiatorial games. Whether or not intentional on Rachilde's part, she outclasses Jack London in making me feel overwhelming sympathy for an animal's tragic suffering. It should be noted that the selections of Charles Baudelaire are exceptional: in addition to the well-known poems "Don Juan in Hell" and "Spleen", "The Litany of Satan" and "The Double Room" stand out; the latter is a fascinating example of Baudelaire's prose poetry that contrasts a lush and resplendent room with a decaying and ugly one.

Unfortunately, the English decadents were not as interesting, talented, or visceral as their French forebears. Oscar Wilde, Ernest Dowson, and Count Stenbock are exceptions. Wilde's "The Nightingale and the Rose" is a classic: a love-stricken boy wishes to win the heart of a girl by giving her a red rose, which can only be gained through the sacrifice of a bird bloodletting onto a white rose. Dowson's "The Dying of Francis Donne" is the final account of a man tormented by ennui and thoughts of death. Stenbock's "The Other Side" is a strange and fantastical story of werewolves and alternate dimensions. Also odd is John Davidson's "A Somewhat Surprising Chapter": a host of characters visit a secret society that revels in sadism, dancing, and esoteric philosophies.

Bottom line: This anthology includes an excellent selection of French decadent poetry and short fiction all showcased in consistently top-notch English translation. The English samplers are not as special. Their inclusion would have reduced my rating to 4 stars if not for Stableford's enjoyable and nearly perfect introductory chapters about the decadent movement. I read them three times they are so gripping.