Hell

Exploring the themes of voyeurism and human experience, the narrative follows a young man in a Paris boarding house who observes his neighbors through a wall hole. His observations reveal a spectrum of human emotions and actions, from love and marriage to death and cowardice. This dual role as both voyeur and philosopher prompts deep reflections on existence and isolation, encapsulated in the poignant realization that "We are divinely alone, the heavens have fallen on our heads." The book sparked controversy upon its English translation in 1918.