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A review by msgtdameron
Down There (La-Bas) by Joris-Karl Huysmans
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The Damned is not so much a book about falling into Satans way's or his grasp, but is actually a political statement about France over all and Paris in particular in1891. A statement about the corruption of both the political system and the Catholic Church that was all around Huysman. Yes the black mass and the sex scenes all make for a lot of titilation but the real meat of the work I done in the bell tower of The Church of Saint-Sulpice in the bell ringers, Carhaix, rooms. The discussion is about Naturalism v Socialism v Democracy v Oligarism v Theocracy v Satanism and how all these ideas for social order are competing against each other. How Satanism competes with the Church and the Church with Satan. Communism in the form of the Commune of 1849 and later Socialist ideas fights against Democracy and how all are influenced by the biggest idea, the Oligarch.
A note on our main players Durtal is our narrator and it is his story of a winter in Paris. Carhaix is a extremely pious Catholic who loves his bells more than his wife, but is open enough to listen to all these new ideas about politics and how the Church affects Politics and Politics the Church. des Hermies is a doctor who believes in science but also what his eyes see. And if his eyes see a miracles then he is willing to call it such. He has seen several miracles and does not disregard them as coming from God through well respected priests. des Hermies also knows of bad priests who magically attack the good priests and conduct black masses. Our final character is Madame Chantelouve AKA Hyacinth a sensualist who also takes part in the Black Mass and who Durtal has an affair with. Her husband is fully aware of the affair and probably aware of her attendance at Black Masses, but chooses to do nothing.
Moving forward. Durtal is writing a history and needs information on the black mass. He is already deep into his affair. He suspects that Hyacinth has access to a black mass for him to observe and get the back ground he needs for his book. All this is going on as Durtal, des Hermies and the alchemist Gevingey dine in Carhaix's apartment discussing the role of the Church and it's corruption in the modern political world.
This black mass is why I say this is really a political work. The high Satan priest, Doche, is appropriately undressed for the mass but he finishes by a tirade against Christ and by extension the Catholic Church. He screams
"Thou has forgotten the poverty thou didst preach! Thou art the favorite vessel of the banks and financial institutions! Thou hast seen the weak crushed beneath the weight of capital! Thou hast heard the death rattle of the timid, weak with hunger, of women disembowelled for a crust of bread, and Thou has caused the Chancery of Thy Simonists, thy traveling salesmen of religion and Thy Pope to answer for thy Failure and dilatory excuses and evasive promises! Thou art nought but a charlatan in a cassock, the God of Big Business."
There are several other paragraphs where God/Christ are called to account for their failures. And where the catholic church are called to account for its' failure. Although Protestants are not the center of this work they are mentioned as those people across the seas and just as culpable as the Catholics.
There is Durtals' book. It is a biography of The Marechal de Raid Gilles, Joan of Arc's number two and better known as Blue Beard. Also tried by temporal and ecclesiastical courts in the 15th century and confessed to more than 800 child deaths by his own hand. At least that is what Huysman says
That in a nutshell is the climbing action and the crisis explained. But the falling action is even a deeper attack on the politics of France. The attack takes the shape of saying that France is in a war between the Satanists who are working for a more just state, a state of brother hood and love. A more sensualist and communal state than a state built to suppress the worker and keep him and the middle class in check to Big Business. While the state is looking to use the Church to stop the Satanist from becoming strong enough to attack Big Business and win over the State. The State needs to hold on to its power at all costs.
The End is election day and the States sponsored man win Paris. It is the last scene we see with Durtal walking away fro Carhixs room shaking his head and wondering we don't know what? Is he thinking that with out the lewd sex acts that politically the Satanists are correct? Is he so disgusted by the Satanic ritual that he does not see the politics of the Satanist. Does he not care and just wish to live in Carhaixs apartment after he dies and ring the bells to be away from the crowd of fools on the street? Were left to wonder.
I will say that the current political situation in America today is not far off from Doches denouncement of the Catholic Church. Do not our evangelical preachers try to keep us sweet to Big Business? Are not our politicians in debt to and in bed with Big Business? Is not the GOP in bed with and defiling teenagers, Mat Getze, all while bemoaning the fall of American morals, do they not want to keep women in bondage by not allowing the best medical treatment for women, do they not let our children get slaughtered by machines of mass death designed for the battlefield. Have our elected officials allowed our natural wonders to be raped for the NEW god, the dollar, and in doing so left our children and grandchildren to suffer and die under a ever increasing hot world. Do they not skim money off Government contracts to fill their own off shore accounts, Greg Abbot. DO they not let our children die of perfectly curable diseases. Mumps, Measles, Rubella, flu, and covid all have vaccines to keep our children safe. I ask who is worse Blue Beard or the GOP?
A note on our main players Durtal is our narrator and it is his story of a winter in Paris. Carhaix is a extremely pious Catholic who loves his bells more than his wife, but is open enough to listen to all these new ideas about politics and how the Church affects Politics and Politics the Church. des Hermies is a doctor who believes in science but also what his eyes see. And if his eyes see a miracles then he is willing to call it such. He has seen several miracles and does not disregard them as coming from God through well respected priests. des Hermies also knows of bad priests who magically attack the good priests and conduct black masses. Our final character is Madame Chantelouve AKA Hyacinth a sensualist who also takes part in the Black Mass and who Durtal has an affair with. Her husband is fully aware of the affair and probably aware of her attendance at Black Masses, but chooses to do nothing.
Moving forward. Durtal is writing a history and needs information on the black mass. He is already deep into his affair. He suspects that Hyacinth has access to a black mass for him to observe and get the back ground he needs for his book. All this is going on as Durtal, des Hermies and the alchemist Gevingey dine in Carhaix's apartment discussing the role of the Church and it's corruption in the modern political world.
This black mass is why I say this is really a political work. The high Satan priest, Doche, is appropriately undressed for the mass but he finishes by a tirade against Christ and by extension the Catholic Church. He screams
"Thou has forgotten the poverty thou didst preach! Thou art the favorite vessel of the banks and financial institutions! Thou hast seen the weak crushed beneath the weight of capital! Thou hast heard the death rattle of the timid, weak with hunger, of women disembowelled for a crust of bread, and Thou has caused the Chancery of Thy Simonists, thy traveling salesmen of religion and Thy Pope to answer for thy Failure and dilatory excuses and evasive promises! Thou art nought but a charlatan in a cassock, the God of Big Business."
There are several other paragraphs where God/Christ are called to account for their failures. And where the catholic church are called to account for its' failure. Although Protestants are not the center of this work they are mentioned as those people across the seas and just as culpable as the Catholics.
There is Durtals' book. It is a biography of The Marechal de Raid Gilles, Joan of Arc's number two and better known as Blue Beard. Also tried by temporal and ecclesiastical courts in the 15th century and confessed to more than 800 child deaths by his own hand. At least that is what Huysman says
That in a nutshell is the climbing action and the crisis explained. But the falling action is even a deeper attack on the politics of France. The attack takes the shape of saying that France is in a war between the Satanists who are working for a more just state, a state of brother hood and love. A more sensualist and communal state than a state built to suppress the worker and keep him and the middle class in check to Big Business. While the state is looking to use the Church to stop the Satanist from becoming strong enough to attack Big Business and win over the State. The State needs to hold on to its power at all costs.
The End is election day and the States sponsored man win Paris. It is the last scene we see with Durtal walking away fro Carhixs room shaking his head and wondering we don't know what? Is he thinking that with out the lewd sex acts that politically the Satanists are correct? Is he so disgusted by the Satanic ritual that he does not see the politics of the Satanist. Does he not care and just wish to live in Carhaixs apartment after he dies and ring the bells to be away from the crowd of fools on the street? Were left to wonder.
I will say that the current political situation in America today is not far off from Doches denouncement of the Catholic Church. Do not our evangelical preachers try to keep us sweet to Big Business? Are not our politicians in debt to and in bed with Big Business? Is not the GOP in bed with and defiling teenagers, Mat Getze, all while bemoaning the fall of American morals, do they not want to keep women in bondage by not allowing the best medical treatment for women, do they not let our children get slaughtered by machines of mass death designed for the battlefield. Have our elected officials allowed our natural wonders to be raped for the NEW god, the dollar, and in doing so left our children and grandchildren to suffer and die under a ever increasing hot world. Do they not skim money off Government contracts to fill their own off shore accounts, Greg Abbot. DO they not let our children die of perfectly curable diseases. Mumps, Measles, Rubella, flu, and covid all have vaccines to keep our children safe. I ask who is worse Blue Beard or the GOP?