The Torture Garden

E1044732

The Torture Garden is a controversial 1899 decadent novel by French writer Octave Mirbeau that blends political satire, philosophical reflection, and graphic depictions of cruelty to critique Western civilization and authoritarian power.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf decadent literature work
novel
adaptation comic adaptations
stage adaptations
author Octave Mirbeau NERFINISHED
containsElement erotic imagery
philosophical dialogue
political discourse
satirical portraits of politicians
countryOfOrigin France
criticizes Western civilization
authoritarian regimes
bourgeois morality
colonial violence
firstPublicationFormat book
firstPublishedInCentury 19th century
genre controversial literature
decadent literature
philosophical novel
political satire
hasInfluenced 20th-century avant-garde literature
surrealist writers
hasSubject aestheticization of pain
death
power and domination
torture
literaryMovement Decadent movement NERFINISHED
literaryPeriod fin de siècle
mainTheme aesthetics of torture
colonialism and imperialism
critique of Western civilization
critique of authoritarian power
hypocrisy of bourgeois society
violence and cruelty
majorCharacter Clara NERFINISHED
majorCharacterRole Clara is a sadistic courtesan NERFINISHED
narrativePerspective first-person narration
notableFor blend of political satire and eroticism
controversial reception
graphic depictions of torture
philosophical reflections on cruelty
originalLanguage French
protagonist unnamed French narrator
publicationYear 1899
publisher Charpentier et Fasquelle NERFINISHED
setting China NERFINISHED
a fictional torture garden
titleInFrench Le Jardin des supplices NERFINISHED

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Octave Mirbeau notableWork The Torture Garden