La-Bas (Down There, or, The Damned) (Illustrated)

OK, so he and Zola had a falling out. He was in the naturalist camp, and became influenced by the decadent movement. This first part of trilogy which will cover the narrators journey from satanism to Catholicism, is also a true testament to the encyclopedic knowledge the author possessed. From medieval bell ringing to Latin classicism, French-English history, he weaves obscure facts, not as a dilettante, but a skillful writer. He definitely was of his age, but also a minor prophet in anticipating modernist trends and concerns with such mundane matters like faith, God, the purpose of existence, etc. Its tough to be concise when discussing such a fascinating and intricate work. Unfortunately for the English reader (as I am) his use of language is lost as indeed it is with the works of Celine. Nevertheless, the story line, the characters the entire journey is captivating and worth the read, to see where literature was heading.