A Decadent Woman

Georges de Peyrebrune

Translated by Brian Stableford

Mathilde-Marie-Georgina-Élisabeth de Peyrebrune (1841-1917), who wrote under the pseudonym of “Georges de Peyrebrune,” originally published “A Decadent Woman” in 1886, in two parts in the Revue Bleue.

The novella, appearing here for the first time in English, in a translation by Brian Stableford, along with three supplementary tales, is one of Peyrebrune’ s most flamboyant works, presenting a caricature of a high-profile variety of radical feminism, which is demolished by the narrative in such an excessive fashion that it was evidently written tongue-in-cheek, although it is probable that some readers were oblivious to its sarcastic humor.

The three addition tales, “The Fays”, a perverse parody of a fairy tale, “The Red Bird”, a symbolist account of exotic madness, and “Salome” a spectacular landmark of decadent fantasy, are wonderful examples of Peyrebrune’ s work when she chose to venture into the avant garde herself.

About the Author
“Georges de Peyrebrune” was the pseudonym of Mathilde-Marie-Georgina-Élisabeth de Peyrebrune (1841-1917). Her novels, which included Marco (1882), Mademoiselle de Tremos (1885), and Les Ensevelis (1887), were primarily serialized in the Revue des Deux Mondes, where she had made her debut. Though friends with many avant-garde writers, such as Rachilde, she generally chose the path of “respectable fiction,” two of her novels being crowned by the Académie française. She was part of the first jury for the Prix Fémina in 1905. Though one of the most popular writers of her day, she died in poverty.

Paperback, 174 pages.
1st edition: April 6, 2021
ISBN-13: 978-1-64525-061-6
Price: US$15.00