{"product_id":"2026200010404-secondhand-literature-and-western-man","title":"Literature And Western Man","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good to fair. Paperback. Page Condition: Good - possible tanning. Markings: possible previous owner inscription.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn a sweeping and authoritative survey of five centuries of Western literature, J. B. Priestley presents a panoramic critique that stretches from the Renaissance through to the mid-twentieth century, tracing the complex relationship between the written word and the evolving consciousness of Western civilisation. With characteristic wit and intellectual vigour, he chronicles the great movements — from humanism and romanticism to naturalism and modernism — through the lens of the writers who defined them, from Shakespeare and Cervantes to Proust and Joyce.\n\nPriestley argues with persuasive confidence that literature is not merely a reflection of society but its moral and spiritual barometer, a living record of humanity's hopes, anxieties, and contradictions. Written in an accessible yet deeply learned style, Literature and Western Man stands as one of the twentieth century's most ambitious works of literary criticism — a grand synthesis that leaves the reader questioning whether the Western literary tradition represents civilisation's greatest achievement, or a harbinger of its decline.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49130693427419,"sku":"2026200010404-SECONDHAND","price":12.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/7dea279b-25aa-42ce-bb63-5a7a4535e682.png?v=1786588607","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200010404-secondhand-literature-and-western-man","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}