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.
Dayne, a thinly-veiled version of the author, travels to Paris as a teenager in pursuit of artistic achievement. There, he leads a bohemian lifestyle alongside poets, painters, actresses, students, and prostitutes. As his dream of becoming a world-renowned painter begins to fade, he turns to writing. Confessions of a Young Man is a memoir by George Moore.