The Abyss (Yourcenar novel)

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The Abyss

Author	Marguerite Yourcenar
Original title	L'Œuvre au noir (The Black Work)
Translator	Grace Frick
Language	French
Publication date	1968
Publication place	France

The Abyss (French: L'Œuvre au noir) is a 1968 novel by the Belgian-French writer Marguerite Yourcenar. Its narrative centers on the life of Zeno, a physician, philosopher, scientist and alchemist born in Bruges during the Renaissance era. The book was published in France in 1968 and was met with immediate popular interest as well as critical acclaim, obtaining the Prix Femina with unanimous votes the year of its publication. The English translation by Grace Frick has been published under the title The Abyss or alternatively Zeno of Bruges. Belgian filmmaker André Delvaux adapted it into a film in 1988.