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theesotericcamel's review against another edition
4.0
Decadent is certainly the word to describe the whole endeavour of this book. Which is fitting of a fin-de-siècle writer such as Jean Lorrain. The first couple of stories deal with deviant forms of love. And it is interesting to note that the depictions of them are generally very sympathetic and understanding. One would almost say accepting. Contemporary accounts seem to suggest that Jean Lorrain himself may have been far from straight, which may account for the comprehending bent. Nevertheless, the stories contained are supposed to shock and awe, and Lorrain delivers in quite florid terms... The second half of the book is composed of "Contes," modern fairy tales that act as a commentary on values of the time. These stories are no less decadent, with queens giving birth to frogs, and Princesses deserting their kingdoms in the name of infatuation... Anyway, I think you get the idea. These are meant to be fairy tales for adults. A Belle-Epoch version of "Fifty Shades of Gray," but much prettier... Fans of literary deviance should take note, this is a literary water spring of inspiration.
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