The Death of Society: A Novel of Tomorrow

A weary survivor of the Great War, Major Rane Smith wanders in a great ennui amidst the mystical beauties of the fjords of Norway after the War, seeking a spiritual renewal. Deep in the forest he stumbles fatefully upon the strange, almost elvish home of Karl Ingman, an iconoclastic old Ibsen scholar. There Major Smith meets Ingman's two beautiful young daughters and his eldritch wife Rosa, entering into long days of profound dialogue with each member of the family. A rare and exquisite gem of a novel, The Death of Society is one of the most remarkable books of the post-War era, showing Wilson's deep intellectual, artistic, and philosophical passions against the backdrop of a romantic passion just as profound. Fallen into a strange obscurity after her untimely death, Romer Wilson deserves a revival of reputation that was recognized in her lifetime when she was awarded the prestigious Hawthornden Prize for this novel. - Summary by Expatriate (6 hr 18 min)