Classic Stories from the Age of Decadence

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

Their work 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 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.