Written between 1895 and 1897, but not published until 1907, this is Machen’s most notable full-length novel and is a classic of the decadent and aesthetic movement of the late-Victorian period. The decadent movement suffered a setback in 1895 when its major proponent, Oscar Wilde, was arrested and tried on charges of ‘gross indecency’. In the aftermath of the trial, the decadent school of writing and amoral ethos of art for art’s sake fell out of fashion – but Machen continued writing in that mode privately.
By 1907, Machen’s writing career had resumed after a ten-year break in which he continued to write, but published nothing. Recognising The Hill of Dreams as among his best work, he decided finally to publish the novel, which was met with minimal, but enthusiastic acclaim (one of its major supporters was Wilde’s former lover, Lord Alfred Douglas). A cult classic for many years, the novel is now recognised as an important example of late-Victorian decadent writing and a major landmark in Welsh literature.
Partly autobiographical, the novel tells of the development of the writer Lucian Taylor as he moves from his native Wales to London in pursuit of artistic fulfilment. Gradually, Lucian finds that he is damned by his dream-contact with pagan gods and his own inner demons.