Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet
The novel is a dark, poetic exploration of the criminal underworld in Paris, focusing on the life and fantasies of a homosexual prostitute and thief. The protagonist, while in prison, creates an elaborate fantasy world populated by outcasts, convicts, and murderers, including a transgender character who becomes his ideal of beauty and purity. The narrative is filled with graphic depictions of sex and violence, and explores themes of transgression, identity, and the transformative power of the imagination.
The 3173rd greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 111
This book was first published in 1943
4 Lists
- score: 60 -- Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century - 1999 (Weight: 60)
- score: 30 -- The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users - 2008 (Weight: 30)
- score: 20 -- In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels - 2011 (Weight: 20)
- score: 1 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 1)