Diabolics. Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly

This book, published in 1874 and immediately banned, is the quintessence of decadence and the spirit of the fin de siècle in French literature. A descendant of a noble family, in his youth Barbet d’Aurevilly was fond of dandyism, abused alcohol and drugs. After experiencing a religious crisis, he became a zealous Catholic and monarchist, but at the same time defended the freedom of art in the press.
“The Devils” is a collection of 6 stories, connected not by plot, but through the image of a femme fatale, a woman-seductive woman whose desire pushes a man to crime or betrayal. These are stories about passion, love and revenge, about country palaces and Parisian slums, about military camps, aristocratic salons and brothels. But at the same time, these works are far from realism: each of the stories has a certain mystical, irrational flair that fits their content so well.