BOOK / A. VILLIERS - AXEL

Art / Literature

Auguste Villiers de L’Isle Adam (1838-1889), whom Paul Verlaine included among his "poètes maudits" and Rubén Darío among the "raros," dedicated the last years of his life to writing this work, which was published posthumously in 1890 and has become one of the foremost examples of symbolism. Today, it is a classic of fin de siècle literature.

Axel, the protagonist of this drama, is a young nobleman who lives a withdrawn life in a castle in the Black Forest, instructed by Maese Janus. Two visitors will shake his existence, which has been dedicated to his inner world until then: the first arrives in search of a lost treasure, and the second, who escaped from the convent the night she was to take her vows, introduces him to love. Faced with this, Axel, who rejects all forms of impositions and limitations, will settle for nothing less than the Ideal, to the point of choosing death when he is at the peak of human happiness. Beyond this point, everything would be disillusionment and, ultimately, a betrayal of an existential stance taken to its logical conclusion.

This work, which reads like an old and delightful adventure novel, is more of a philosophical text as it depicts the initiatory journey that every human being makes between the material world, the world of passion, and the spiritual world.

A unique book that raises as many questions as it garners unconditional adherents.

Title: AXEL Author: Auguste Villiers de L’Isle Adam Publisher: Wunderkammer Binding: Paperback Format: 10 x 21 cm Number of pages: ND Number of images: ND Weight: ND Genre: Literature Language: Spanish Printing: One ink Year of publication: 2018 Printed in Spain