En ménage

by J.-K. (Joris-Karl) Huysmans

"En ménage" by J.-K. Huysmans is a novel published in 1881. It follows André Jayant, a novelist trapped in a stifling marriage to the narrow-minded Berthe. After discovering her infidelity, André flees to other women—first a prostitute, then a former lover—only to find himself unable to manage life alone. This deeply personal work shifts from pictorial description to psychological exploration, featuring inner monologues that anticipate twentieth-century fiction while reflecting a profound pessimism about domestic life and human relationships.