"No one who has ever read this remarkable novel and looked at human life through Barbusse's peephole can ever forget the experience.
About the Author: Henri Barbusse (1873-1935) was a French novelist and active member of the French Communist Party.
266 Pages
Fiction + Literature Genres, Literary

Description

Book Synopsis

"No one who has ever read this remarkable novel and looked at human life through Barbusse's peephole can ever forget the experience."-Robert Baldick

"It is Barbusse, not Gide, not Proust and not Maurois whose work marks the great turning point in French twentieth-century literature."-Jean Favrille

Hell is the most highly focused study of voyeurism ever written. A young man staying in a Paris boarding house finds a hole in the wall above his bed. Through this he obsessively studies the private moments and secret activities of his neighbors. Marriage, adultery, lesbianism, religion and death are all seen through this small spy hole.

Decades ahead of its time Hell shocked and scandalized the reviewing public when first released in English. Even so, The New Republic praised "the beauty of the book's nervous yet fluid rhythms. . . . Every simile is faultlessly keyed. The book sweeps away life's illusions."

About the Author

Henri Barbusse (1873-1935) was a French novelist and active member of the French Communist Party. A WWI veteran, Barbusse became popular upon the 1916 release of his first novel, Le Feu. Later, he moved to Moscow and joined the Bolshevik Party, spending the rest of his life in the Soviet Union and France.

Specifications

Dimensions (Overall): 8.4 Inches (H) x 5.4 Inches (W) x .8 Inches (D)

Weight: .62 Pounds

Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up

Number of Pages: 266

Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres

Sub-Genre: Literary

Publisher: Turtle Point Press

Format: Paperback

Author: Henri Barbusse

Language: English

Street Date: April 1, 1995

TCIN: 1011956654

UPC: 9781885983015

Item Number (DPCI): 247-43-2880

Origin: Made in the USA or Imported

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Shipping & Returns

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 0.8 inches length x 5.4 inches width x 8.4 inches height

Estimated ship weight: 0.62 pounds

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Q&A (5)

Q: What is the primary setting of the story?

AI Shopping Assistant - 9 days ago

A: The story is primarily set in a Paris boarding house where the protagonist observes his neighbors.
submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 9 days ago
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Q: Who is the author of this book?

AI Shopping Assistant - 9 days ago

A: The author is Henri Barbusse, a French novelist and member of the French Communist Party.
submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 9 days ago
Ai generated

Q: What literary significance does this novel hold?

AI Shopping Assistant - 9 days ago

A: The novel is considered a turning point in French twentieth-century literature, noted for its unique narrative style.
submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 9 days ago
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Q: What themes are explored in the novel?

AI Shopping Assistant - 9 days ago

A: The novel explores themes of voyeurism, marriage, adultery, religion, and death through the protagonist's observations.
submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 9 days ago
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