Classic Stories from the Age of Decadence - by Jane Desmarais (Hardcover)

About the Book

A collection that showcases the very best short stories from the 1890s, which is widely considered to be the most important decade of the Decadent movement.

Book Synopsis

Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautifully bound pocket-sized gift editions of much loved classic titles. Bound in real cloth, printed on high quality paper, and featuring ribbon markers and gilt edges, Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.

As the nineteenth century drew to a close, decadent authors boldly decided it was time for something new.

Their work was was radical, daring and controversial, and it captured a unique feeling and exciting atmosphere. Rich with aesthetic hedonism, this anthology showcases the very best short stories from the movement.

In 'The Nightingale and the Rose', Oscar Wilde expertly captures the decadent mood when a young student laments the futility of art; Vernon Lee tells the story of a mysterious and beautiful woman who brings strange misfortune to a coastal village in 'Dionea'; 'A Funeral Oration' by Jean Lorrain oozes with excess and indulgence; 'Enoch Soames' grapples with the fin de siècle fear of leaving no legacy. From famous authors to lesser-known writers, there is no shortage of drama, darkness and decay in this riveting collection.

This edition is edited and introduced by writer and academic Jane Desmarais.

About the Author

Professor Jane Desmarais is an academic specializing in Decadence Studies at Goldsmiths University of London. She is Editor-in-Chief of Volupté Interdisciplinary Journal of Decadence Studies, and Chair of the British Association of Decadence Studies.