A Rebours (Against the Grain), an aesthetic novel written by the French author Joris-Karl Huysmans (1848-1907), is published in 1884. Husysmans was a popular poet and well known writer of naturalism; A Rebours was Huysmans's first venture into aestheticism and swiftly aligned him with the growing movement of French Decadents. The novel follows a young aristocrat named Jean Des Essientes who retreats from busy city life to a home in the country to spend the rest of his days pursuing aesthetic philosophy. The novel contains waxing descriptions of a multitude of surrealist experiences, including the death of a tortoise and the blooming of a garden. A Rebours also contains descriptions of several prominent works of art, including French symbolist artist Moreau's Salome Dancing before Herod.