Alison Rini’s Reviews > From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, 1500 to the Present > Status Update
Alison Rini
is on page 683 of 828
Closing in - next up the 4th and final century, starting with The Great War. Just finished reading about revolutions in the arts (cubism, a-tonal music like Stravinsky), Freud and Nietzsche’s unconventional explanations, and a new fascination with primitivism. Things have been off the rails for quite a while, apparently!
— Oct 18, 2025 05:54AM
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Alison’s Previous Updates
Alison Rini
is on page 744 of 828
Life is becoming more familiar (the cocktail was just invented) as we approach the 1940s. Amazing how “recent” this era feels, having started the book back in 1500.
— Nov 09, 2025 06:04AM
Alison Rini
is on page 641 of 828
Late 1800’s… things are starting to go off the rails. Specifically in music at this point - focus on deconstruction and “purity” rather than just making and appreciating beautiful music. We kind of know where this is heading…
— Sep 01, 2025 04:51AM
Alison Rini
is on page 550 of 828
Interesting reading about the many European revolutions of 1848 on so-called No Kings Day in the USA in 2025. We have come a long way! 🇺🇸
— Jun 14, 2025 11:11AM
Alison Rini
is on page 462 of 828
Loving reading about the French Revolution and heading to Paris this week!
Le plus que les choses changent…
(Might be spelled correctly who knows; the more things change…)
— May 26, 2025 03:02PM
Le plus que les choses changent…
(Might be spelled correctly who knows; the more things change…)
Alison Rini
is on page 428 of 828
Lots happening in Paris in 1788… wonder what comes next….
— May 11, 2025 06:52AM
Alison Rini
is on page 393 of 828
Quite a dense book, but getting so much easier to read as the years progress and I have more background knowledge. Now scientists like Lavoisier and Ben Franklin, artists like Bach, and writers like Voltaire and Rousseau are showing up and it is quite amazing to realize all of this was happening simultaneously.
— Apr 27, 2025 05:39AM
