Barbey d'Aurevilly's Works Reissued: A Lesson in Moral Terror

Two new volumes of Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly's novels and correspondence have been published by Gallimard (Quarto collection) and Bartillat. The collection includes his novels and letters to Trébutien from 1832-1858. Barbey, who faced trial for obscenity over "Les Diaboliques," defended his work as a means to "moraliser par la terreur" (moralize through terror), a strategy he previously used to defend Baudelaire's "Les Fleurs du Mal." The article, written by Fabrice Hadjadj for artpress, positions Barbey as a precursor to Philippe Muray and Georges Bataille, emphasizing his theory of literature's essential relation to evil. Barbey's style is described as using "éternelle ironie" against the gravity of the 19th century. Key works like "L'Ensorcelée" are highlighted for their depiction of prolonged suffering. The article references Barbey's paradigmatic scenes: Richard III seducing Lady Ann over her husband's coffin, and Salome (Hérodiade) receiving John the Baptist's head. Barbey invokes a "grande largeur catholique" that embraces human nature fully. His literary lineage includes Bloy, Bernanos, Huysmans, and Green, with Proust also indebted to him, as noted in the preface by Judith Lyon-Caen. The edition underscores the connection of Barbey's writing to Norman place names and time.