Confessions of a Young Man (1888) is a memoir by George Moore.
Originally written in French, it is a record of his life in Paris as a
young man with money and dreams to spare. Controversial for its
depictions of bohemianism and pointed critique of Victorian morality,
Confessions of a Young Man has been recognized as an invaluable
portrait of nineteenth century Paris and the geniuses who struggled to
reshape art in their image. Degas. Renoir. Monet. Zola. Their names are
now immortal, instant reminders of their influence on the visual and
literary arts. In the 1870s, however, and throughout their lifetimes,
they were artists struggling to hone their craft and gain recognition
for their work. Into their world came the young George Moore, an
Irishman who thought he was a painter and would eventually make his own
name as a pioneering modernist writer. In Confessions of a Young Man,
he offers his experience and impressions of bohemian life in Paris, a
place where the temptations of flesh, drugs, and alcohol led many a
young artist astray. In this murky world, he will draw inspiration for
his groundbreaking stories and novels in the realist style. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of George Moore's Confessions of a Young Man is a classic of
Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.