Eric Hobsbawm's Posthumous Collection Mourns 20th Century Cultural Decline

Fractured Times: Culture and Society in the 20th Century presents a posthumous compilation of lectures and essays by Austrian-born British Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm. Published in May 2013, the book examines art's transformation following two world wars and the collapse of bourgeois society. Hobsbawm laments the replacement of revered high art with consumer-driven experiences where personal satisfaction dominates. He criticizes contemporary artists for creating installations and videos he finds less compelling than stage design or advertising work. Digital technologies also perplex the historian, who witnessed solitary geniuses give way to fashion-conscious creators. The collection blends personal reflection with broader analysis in essays on Jewish culture, jazz, and European history. Hobsbawm wrote jazz criticism under a pseudonym and was raised in a Jewish household. His work ultimately portrays history as encompassing both individual experiences and mass movements.