The Decadent: Being the Gospel of Inaction: Wherein Are Set Forth in Romance Form Certain Reflections Touching the Curious Characteristics of These Ultimate Years, and the Divers Causes Thereof

The Decadent: Being the Gospel of Inaction, published in 1893 by Ralph Adams Cram, is a philosophical novel that examines the conflict between social action and inaction during a time perceived as decadent. The narrative follows Malcolm McCann, who confronts his former pupil Aurelian Blake at the latter's opulent estate, Vita Nuova. Through their discussions, the book explores themes of revolutionary zeal versus artistic retreat, ultimately questioning the implications of societal change and individualism in a declining world.