The End of the World - Apocalypse and its Aftermath in Western Culture

Sep 21, 2026

Explores apocalypse as a cultural and intellectual motif in Western history, tracing how “the end” is imagined, debated, and reinterpreted rather than treated as a single, final event. Investigates recurring themes across artistic and literary representations, connecting medieval and early modern ideas to later understandings of catastrophe, meaning, and aftermath. Includes scholarly apparatus such as illustrations, prologue, structured chapters, bibliography, and index to support critical study of gendered and national questions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages224

Reading Time5 h 45 min

AccessFree to download

Prologue

Apocalypse Now and Again

The World Gone M.A.D.

And Then There Was Nothing: Is the End Ever Really the End?

Falling Out with Hal and Hester

Dying of Happiness: Utopia at the End of this World

Afterword: Libera Me, Domine, De Vita Æterna

Bibliography

Index

Maria Manuel Lisboa The End of the World Apocalypse and its Aftermath in Western Culture OpenBook Publishers To access digital resources including: blog posts videos online appendices and to purchase copies of this book in: hardback paperback ebook editions Go to: [https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/106](https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/106) Open Book Publishers is a non-profit independent initiative. We rely on sales and donations to continue publishing high-quality academic works. Maria Manuel Lisboa is Professor of Portuguese Literature and Culture atthe University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge. She specialises in nineteenth-and twentieth-century Portuguese and Brazilian literature, focusing on gender and national identity. She has written four monographs, including one on the renowned Portuguese artist Paula Rego. Maria Manuel Lisboa received the 2008 Prémio do Grémio Literário. The End of the World: Apocalypse and its Aftermath in Western Culture Maria Manuel Lisboa Open Book Publishers CIC Ltd., 40 Devonshire Road, Cambridge, CB1 2BL, United Kingdom [http://www.openbookpublishers.com](http://www.openbookpublishers.com) © 2011 Maria Manuel Lisboa Some rights are reserved. This book is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. This license allows for copying any part of the work for personal and non-commercial use, providing author attribution is clearly stated. Details of allowances and restrictions are available at: [http://www.openbookpublishers.com](http://www.openbookpublishers.com) As with all Open Book Publishers titles, digital material and resources associated with this volume are available from our website: [http://www.openbookpublishers.com/product.php/106](http://www.openbookpublishers.com/product.php/106) ISBN Hardback: 978-1-906924-51-5 ISBN Paperback: 978-1-906924-50-8 ISBN Digital (pdf): 978-1-906924-52-2 Cover image: David Fox, New Zealand, flooded coastal forest (2010) Typesetting by [www.bookgenie.in](www.bookgenie.in) All paper used by Open Book Publishers is SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative), and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) Certified. Printed in the United Kingdom and United States by Lightning Source for Open Book Publishers This book is dedicated to our planet, with best wishes for many happy returns. In memory of my mother-in-law, Winifred Brick and my uncle, Ilídio Lisboa. This World is not Conclusion. A Species stands beyond—Invisible, as Music—But positive, as Sound—It beckons, and it baffles—Philosophy—don’t know—And through a Riddle, at the last—Sagacity, must go— To guess it, puzzles scholars—To gain it, Men have borne Contempt of Generations And Crucifixion […] . Emily Dickinson Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago Where have all the flowers gone? Girls have picked them every one When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? Where have all the young girls gone? Long time passing Where have all the young girls gone? Long time ago Where have all the young girls gone? Taken husbands every one When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? Where have all the young men gone? Long time passing Where have all the young men gone? Long time ago Where have all the young men gone? Gone for soldiers every one When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time passing Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time ago Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards every one When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn? Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time passing Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time ago Where have all the graveyards gone? Covered with flowers every one When will we ever lear

FAQs

What is the main focus of the book?

The book examines how apocalypse and its aftermath function as cultural and intellectual themes in Western culture rather than as a single definitive ending.

How is the argument structured?

It is organized into a prologue, multiple numbered chapters addressing different aspects of “the end,” and an afterword, followed by bibliography and index.

Does the volume include scholarly support materials?

Yes. It provides a list of illustrations, acknowledgements, a contents structure, and reference tools such as bibliography and an index.

Sep 21, 2026

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