Octave Mirbeau

Mon cher ami, en tete de ces pages, j'ai voulu, pour deux raisons tres fortes et tres precises, inscrire votre nom. D'abord, pour que vous sachiez combien votre nom m'est cher. Ensuite, -je le dis avec un tranquille orgueil, -parce que vous aimerez ce livre. Et ce livre, malgre tous ses defauts, vous l'aimerez, parce que c'est un livre sans hypocrisie, parce que c'est de la vie, et de la vie comme nous la comprenons, vous et moi.

Driven mad by modern life, Georges Vasseur leaves for a rest cure, where he encounters corrupt politicians, amnesiac coquettes, cheerfully sadistic killers, imperialist generals, and quack psychiatrists. Hypocrites are eternal, and not much has changed since Mirbeau wrote this acid portrait of his era.

Despite a troubled youth and harrowing experiences in the Franco-Prussian war, Jean Mintié is on the rise in Paris. He mingles in artistic circles and has modest success with his first writings. That all changes when he meets socialite Julie Roux. Feeling both intrigued and unsettled by her extravagance and outspokenness, he can’t shake her from his thoughts. Their ensuing affair, initially captivating, takes a sharp turn as other aspects of Julie’s personality come to the fore. Calvary, also commonly referred to by its French title Le Calvaire, is a tale of ruin, obsession and redemption. It marked Octave Mirbeau’s debut under his own name, after he anonymously penned no less than ten works for others. He didn’t have to look far for inspiration: the novel’s portrayal of Jean and Julie’s relationship parallels Mirbeau’s own disastrous love affair with the notorious Judith Vinmer. He would later revisit this exercise in “writing as trauma therapy” in his third book Sebastien Roch, a novel about sexual abuse at a Jesuit school for boys.

"Sebastien Roch (Empire of the Senses Series)" by Octave Mirbeau, with Creative Commons by-sa attribution, Francisco Gil Craviotto, and Nicoletta Simborowski, refers to a specific work within the "Empire of the Senses" series by the French author Octave Mirbeau, likely a short story or excerpt that focuses on the character Sebastien Roch, potentially with artistic contributions from Francisco Gil Craviotto and Nicoletta Simborowski. Key points about this entry: Author: Octave Mirbeau Series: Empire of the Senses Character: Sebastien Roch Creative Commons: Indicates the work is available under a Creative Commons license, allowing for sharing and adaptation with proper attribution Contributors: Francisco Gil Craviotto and Nicoletta Simborowski (possibly involved in artistic aspects)