Book excerpt: "The Cathedral (French: La Cathédrale) (1898) is a novel by the French writer Joris-Karl Huysmans. It is the third of Huysmans' books to feature the character Durtal, a thinly disguised portrait of the author. He had already featured the character of Durtal in Là-bas and En route, which recounted his conversion to Catholicism. La Cathédrale continues the story. After his retreat at a Trappist monastery, Durtal moves to the city of Chartres, renowned for its cathedral. Huysmans describes the building in great detail" -- Wikipedia.