1900 (Penguin Twentieth Century Classics) Book

At the turn of the 19th century, just as today, many people were terrified--or thrilled--by the seemingly unstoppable progress of science, wrestling with questions of sexual identity, turning away from traditional religions or taking refuge in spiritualism, the paranormal and "new age" philosophies. From poetry to pulp fiction, scientific polemic to sexologicical speculation, 1900 brings together a fascinating collage of writings which encompass the amazing range of beliefs, ideas and obsessions current at the turn of the century. "1900 offers a striking vision of the fin-de-siècle shock of the new no less than the fatigue of the old, regeneration no less than degeneration, the viewpoints of scientists and futurists as well as decadent poets" Roy Porter. "1900" is a splendid starting point for analysis of fin-de-siècle thought and for understanding the millenium" Elaine ShowalterRead More