Classic Stories from the Age of Decadence

Decadent writing aimed to challenge expectations, break boundaries and experiment with literary form.

It moved away from the moralistic novels of the Victorian period and instead aimed for something new: writing that was radical, daring and controversial, which captured a unique feeling and exciting atmosphere. This Macmillan Collector’s Library short story anthology showcases the very best writing from the movement.

In ’The Nightingale and the Rose’, Oscar Wilde 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 fears surrounding artistic longevity in the fin de siècle. From famous authors to lesser-known writers, there is no shortage of drama, darkness and decay in this riveting collection.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, pocket-sized classics with ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is edited and introduced by writer and academic Jane Desmarais.

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.