The Abyss

Marguerite Yourcenar · 1903–1987 · France / Belgium

Originally L'Œuvre au Noir (French) · translated by Grace Frick

Why it matters

A Renaissance physician and alchemist flees the Inquisition across a Europe of plague, war, and dawning science. Yourcenar's second historical masterwork extends her lifelong fascination with minds ahead of their era.

At a glance

Dense philosophical and scientific erudition woven through the historical narrative.