The Pataphysician’s Library : An Exploration of Alfred Jarry’s ‘Livres Pairs’

The Pataphysician’s Library is a study of aspects of 1890s French literature, with specific reference to the traditions of Symbolism and Decadence. Its main focus is Alfred Jarry, who has proved, perhaps surprisingly, to be one of the more durable fin-de-siècle authors. The originality of this study lies in its use of the enigmatic list of books termed the livres pairs, which appears in Jarry’s 1898 novel Gestes et Opinions du docteur Faustroll, pataphysicien, his best-known prose work. The greatest interest of the livres pairs lies in a group of works by Jarry’s friends and contemporaries, primarily Leon Bloy, Georges Darien, Gustave Kahn, Catulle Mendes, Josephin Madan, Rachilde, and Henri de Regnier. Several of these authors feature as the lords of islands visited by the pataphysician Dr Faustroll in his curious voyage around Paris. In conjunction with Jarry’s own works, the contemporary livres pairs serve to illustrate the vibrant and experimental atmosphere in which these authors worked. Title Page......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 Part I: Faustroll's Library......Page 26 Une affiche de Toulouse-Lautrec, Jane Avril......Page 28 Une de Bonnard, La Revue Blanche......Page 29 Une vieille image, laquelle nous a paru sans valeur, saint Cado, de l’imprimerie Oberthür de Rennes......Page 30 The Books......Page 34 1. Baudelaire, un tome d’Edgar Poe, traduction......Page 36 2. Bergerac, OEuvres, tome II, contenant l’Histoire des Etats et Empires du Soleil, et l’Histoire des Oiseaux......Page 38 3. L’Evangile de Saint Luc, en grec......Page 42 4. Bloy, Le Désespéré......Page 44 4. Bloy, Le Mendiant ingrat......Page 48 5. Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner......Page 51 6. Darien, Biribi......Page 53 6. Darien, Le Voleur......Page 56 7. Desbordes-Valmore, Le Serment des petits hommes......Page 59 8. Elskamp, Salutations, dont d’angéliques......Page 63 8. Elskamp, Enluminures......Page 67 9. Un volume dépareillé du Théâtre de Florian......Page 70 10. Un volume dépareillé des Mille et Une Nuits, traduction Galland......Page 72 11. Grabbe, Scherz, Satire, Ironie und tiefere Bedeutung, comédie en trois actes......Page 74 12. Kahn, Le Livre d’images......Page 78 12. Kahn, Le Conte de l’Or et du Silence......Page 82 13. Lautréamont, Les Chants de Maldoror......Page 87 14. Maeterlinck, Pelléas et Mélisande......Page 88 14. Maeterlinck, Aglavaine et Sélysette......Page 91 15. Mallarmé, Divagations......Page 93 15. Mallarmé, Vers et prose......Page 94 16. Mendès, Gog......Page 96 17. L’Odyssée, édition Teubner......Page 102 18. Péladan, Babylone......Page 103 19. Rabelais......Page 108 20. Jean de Chilra, La Princesse des ténèbres......Page 111 20. Jean de Chilra, L’Heure sexuelle......Page 114 21. Henri de Régnier, La Canne de jaspe......Page 117 22. Rimbaud, Les Illuminations......Page 122 23. Schwob, La Croisade des enfants......Page 124 24. Ubu Roi......Page 127 25. Verlaine, Sagesse......Page 128 26. Verhaeren, Les Campagnes hallucinées......Page 131 27. Verne, Le Voyage au Centre de la Terre......Page 135 Observations......Page 140 Part II: Recurring Themes......Page 144 Faith and Esoterica: Symbolist Thought......Page 146 Esoteric Themes and Treatments......Page 147 The Gospel according to Mendès......Page 152 Esoteric Tolerances......Page 154 Péladan......Page 155 Magi......Page 160 Faith without Esotericism......Page 166 Bloy: Faith and Constraint......Page 170 Jarry: Hermeticism and Faith......Page 173 Heroes: The Symbolist Übermensch......Page 184 The Avoidance of Heroes......Page 185 The Decline of the Decadent......Page 187 The Rise of the Aggressive Individualist......Page 193 The Symbolist Hero......Page 202 Conclusion......Page 217 Bibliography......Page 222 Index......Page 236 "The focus of The Pataphysician's Library is the enigmatic list of books termed the livres pairs which appears in Alfred Jarry's novel Gestes et Opinions du docteur Faustroll, pataphysicien, completed in 1898. The list includes well-known books and more obscure works, but the greatest interest of the livres pairs lies in the light they throw on the vibrant and experimental atmosphere in which Jarry and his contemporaries worked. Several of Jarry's friends, such as Leon Bloy, Gustave Kahn, Stephane Mallarme, Rachilde and Henri de Regnier feature in the novel, as the rulers of islands visited by the pataphysician Faustroll in his curious voyage around Paris. For the purposes of the voyage, Faustroll reduces each livre pair to its essence; these are often indicative of Jarry's approach to the texts. The second part of the book examines some of the central themes of Symbolist writing as revealed in Jarry's collection of livres pairs." "Jarry is best known as the precursor of the Theatre of the Absurd with his play Ubu Roi, staged in 1896, but this study shows how his prose work relates to contemporary trends and gives a fascinating picture of the French literary avant-garde at the fin-de-siecle."--BOOK JACKET This Work Is A Study Of Aspects Of 1890s French Literature, With Specific Reference To The Traditions Of Symbolism And Decadence. Its Main Focus Is Alfred Jarry, Who Has Proved To Be One Of The More Durable Fin De Siecle Authors. Ben Fisher. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [209]-221) And Index.