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| Plot Summary of Downstream |
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"Jean is a 40 year old civil servant in 1880's Paris. He is friendless, familyless and single. He rails against the misery of his life. He survives the drudgery of his job by going for walks in the evening and eating out at a bad local eatery. But when he tires of this he sets out further afield and explores other restaurants but they are equally squalid and the food dismal. He is however almost content in his lonely existence and is happy not to be trapped in a marriage. An acquaintance takes him out one night and they eat in a student filled table d'hotes and then go to the theatre. But both are terrible for Jean and he excuses himself. He is so relieved when he finds a patisserie which delivers dinner to ones home. He does up his room with the last of his savings in anticipation of eating alone at home. But the food is just as dreadful and he falls back into melancholia. Then he meets a prostitute but predictably this fills him with distaste and depression. "
John Marcel, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Downstream |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- depressed
Time/era of story
- 19th century
Internal struggle/realization?
Yes
Struggle over
- midlife crisis
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main char. serviced by prostitute?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- servant
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality
- French
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- physically sick
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- servant
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 3 (some)
Europe
Yes
European country:
- France
City?
Yes
City:
- Paris
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Click here for more information about this book
J.K. Huysmans Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 John Marcel
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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