La-Bas, the decadent novel published serially in France in 1891, was immediately banned from sale. Of course, this immediately made everyone want to read it. Decades later, this powerful novel was translated (in a censored edition) into English in 1924. Since the book is in the public domain, numerous editions have been published in English since then.
My favorite translation is published by UK publisher Dedalus Books. It features a cover design by Marie Lane. Her choice of Aubrey Beardsley’s “Of Neophyte and how the Black Art was revealed to him by the fiend Asomuel” (1893) is perfect. The stylized font is also a good design idea. Black and white design schemes can be risky, but considering the decadent nature of the novel, it works very well.
By using the Beardsley illustration, Marie emphasizes the strange style of the novel. She also hints at characters who are perhaps not quite human. Including lengthy quotes from reviews on the rear cover that emphasize the shocking nature of the story of La-Bas will appeal to those “diseased imaginations” that I quote from Time Out magazine.
As for the translation, it is clear and readable. King provides a thorough introduction that places the novel in context. He also discusses some of the challenges of translating Huysmans’ novel from the French.
Here are a few contrasting cover designs for this mad novel:
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- More info on Dedalus Books
- Joris-Karl Huysmans background
- Publishing history of La-Bas