The Torture Garden by Octave Mirbeau

Jeremy1012
Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
edited November 2006 in Poetry, Prose, Music & Art
Has anyone read this 19th century french novel? Apparently it is basically an indictment of the corruption, exploitation and nepotism that Mirbeau saw in the ruling classes in france at the time he wrote it. It was apparently extremely shocking at the time because of the anarchic or nihilistic tendencies that Mirbeau demonstrated in it. Fans of the Manic Street Preachers might recognise the name as there were several quotes from the novel used in the liner notes for The Holy Bible.

The reason why I am asking if anyone here has read it is that I am writing an A-level coursework essay on Marxism and its development by Vladimir Ulyanov (laterly Lenin) in pre-1903 Russia and would like to know more about any parallels in other countries at the time.
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"

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