Lorrain, Jean: The Blood of the Gods

Snuggly Books, paperback

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

Publisher Marketing: Jean Lorrain, later famous as the author of such Decadent masterpieces as Nightmares of an Ether Drinker and Errant Vice, began his literary career in 1882 with the book of poems titled The Blood of the Gods—sending a sophisticated shudder through the cafés of Montmartre. In this volume, presented here for the first time in English, in a translation by Jacob Rabinowitz, Lorrain, the self-proclaimed "ambassador from Sodom," gives exquisite expression to Symbolist and Pre-Raphaelite themes, expanding them, with defiant pride, to include unambiguous accounts of male homosexuality. Only now, more than a century later, can we fully appreciate the courage and the suffering behind his brilliant and sardonic self-expression. Jean Lorrain (1855-1906) was the pseudonym of Paul Alexandre Martin Duval. He was one of the leading figures of the Decadent Movement and the author of numerous novels, volumes of poetry and short stories. At one point he was probably the highest paid journalist in France. Though mostly remembered today for his famous duel with Marcel Proust, he might be seen as the true chronicler of the fin-de-siècle. His short story collections Nightmares of an Ether-Drinker and The Soul-Drinker and Other Decadent Fantasies were previously published by Snuggly Books. About the Translator: Jacob Rabinowitz is the author of numerous translations from various languages, living and dead. He is presently editor of the online SF/Fantasy literary magazine 96th of October.