Disenchantment

Disenchantment by C. E. Montague is a nonfiction first published in 1922. At its center are ideas, events, practices, and the effort to understand lived reality, developed through the conventions and freedoms of nonfiction. Rather than depending on topical novelty, the book builds its interest through the interaction of character, situation, and idea. The reading experience is shaped by a direct explanatory style shaped by observation, argument, and evidence. At roughly 61,188 words with an average difficulty reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. The work remains relevant through its usefulness as a window into the concerns and assumptions of its time. For modern readers, the pleasure comes from entering its particular world while noticing how its central concerns still shape personal and public life. Disenchantment therefore works both as an encounter with C. E. Montague’s individual voice and as an example of the wider literary tradition surrounding nonfiction.