The Twilight of Romanticism: Lives and Literature in French Bohemian Culture and the Beat Generation

The Twilight of Romanticsm is a fascinating account of the lives and literature of French Bohemian poets and writers of the Beat Generation in 1950's America. Beginning in 19th century France, every youth generation has developed a group of rebel artists and literary outlaws who defied the middle class conventions of their time in an attempt to create new forms of literature. These artists were the first ones to experiment with all kinds of depravity including mind-expanding drugs, insanity, excessive drinking, sexual experimentation and a chronic inability to settle down to a normal life. This book will appeal to those persons interested in the poetic visions of Bob Dylan, the sense-of-dread lyrics of Jim Morrison,the free form poetry of Allen Ginsberg, and the spontaneous prose of Jack Kerouac. In addition, Twilight offers a unique insight into the conflict between the desires of self-expression, creative artists and the utilitarian demands of a consumer-ridden, money obsessed culture.