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Hell
Hell | Henri Barbusse
5 posts | 7 read | 6 to read
Written in 1906, this is a study of voyeurism written to the highest of standards. 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 neighbours. Marriage, adultery, homosexuality, religion, and death are all seen in a Dantesque manner through this little spy-hole. First published in 1921, HELL shocked many but also obtained critical acclaim in the key papers of the day.
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review
AshleyHoss820
Inferno (Hell) | Henri Barbusse
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Pickpick

Ah! I loved this one! A man discovers a large hole between his boarding room and the room next door. He spies on the various occupants and waxes philosophic. The beauty is in the novel‘s depiction of both the solitude of man and the universality of man. 194/1,001 #1001Books

review
Liz_M
Hell | Henri Barbusse
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Pickpick

An uneven debut novel. The narrator, a resident of a Parisian boarding house, becomes obsessed with spying on the room next door. He witnesses an implausible sequence of events - an affair, first love, a death, a birth - and presents lengthy monologues on the ethics of his situation. The novel is best when depicting the characters in the room next door, but as the narrator is content to remain a voyeur, no attempt is made to fill in backstories.

BarbaraBB Sounds much better than I thought it would be. 7y
Liz_M @BarbaraBB It had its moments. It's really more of a lukewarm pick. 7y
BarbaraBB @Liz_M Haha! 7y
6 likes4 comments
review
Clevercactus
Inferno (Hell) | Henri Barbusse
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Pickpick

Superficially, Inferno is the story of the observations of a voyeur who recently became a boarding house tenant in a somewhat dilapidated establishment. By accident, the voyeur discovers that he has a hand-sized view from his room which allows him to see into the adjacent room without being discovered and he loves to watch. The voyeur witnesses lesbianism, adultery, childbirth, and death. This book is a dark, twisty ride exploring solipsism.

Clevercactus I wrote a longer review on Goodreads. Link above. #litsyatoz 8y
5 likes1 comment
quote
Clevercactus
Inferno (Hell) | Henri Barbusse
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"What am I? I am the desire not to die." #whoami #inferno #frenchphilosophy #solipsism

quote
Clevercactus
Inferno (Hell) | Henri Barbusse
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"Human contact wears things out with disheartening slowness."