First published in 1930, this book is still now an essential reading for anyone who wants to learn to understand great masterpieces. Through English, French and Italian literature of the nineteenth century, Mario Praz studies the distinctive traits of decadent aesthetics in European culture: the evolution of the idea of ​​beauty, often associated with the idea of ​​death; the theme of corruption and sadness; the recurrence of satanic characters; the sadistic figure of the femme fatale; the fascination with lust, vice and exoticism; the sensuality of the word; the literary influences and peculiarities of great authors such as Flaubert, Mary Shelley, Baudelaire, D’Annunzio. An anomalous, modern essay, in which critical thought is nourished by subtle intuitions and literature becomes a passionate experience.