New Perspectives on the Fin De Siecle in Nineteenth- And Twentieth- Century France

by Kay Chadwick (Editor), Unwin Timothy (Editor)

“The fourteen studies of this volume are a collective demonstration of the flexibility and the tenacity of the fin de siècle theme, yet they are also a celebration of its essential Frenchness. Studies of literature and film rub shoulders with sociological and historical enquiries, providing an overview of the concept in its various manifestations and offering a range of fascinating insights. Yet the common strand in this diversity is that of the fin de siècle itself, explicitly addressed in each of the chapters and analysed extensively in the editors’ introduction to the volume. The standard of debate and presentation is extremely high, and this volume will surely prove to be a major landmark for future discussion of the theme.” – Paul Dunham “A fine collection of essays which make all manner of links between the nineteenth and twentieth fins de siècle, not just in literature, but in the wider cultural field too. If these interconnections can seem initially surprising, the care with which they are analysed and, above all, brilliantly illustrated by quoting chapter and verse comprehensively supports Huysman’s famous contention that all fins de siècle are alike. Yet beyond this, wider cultural continuities manifest themselves in a dynamism which bursts out of the artificial confines of temporal constriction.” – Richard Bales

281 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2000