Broken Dreams : An Intimate History of the Midlife Crisis / Mark Jackson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jackson, Mark, 1928- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Midlife crisis.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (272 pages) : illustrations (black and white)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

London, England : Reaktion Books Ltd, [2021]

Summary:

The midlife crisis has become a cliché in modern society. Since the mid-twentieth century, the term has been used to explain infidelity in middle-aged men, disillusionment with personal achievements, the pain and sadness associated with separation and divorce, and the fear of approaching death. This book provides a meticulously researched account of the social and cultural conditions in which middle-aged men and women began to reevaluate their hopes and dreams, reassess their relationships, and seek new forms of identity and fresh pathways to self-satisfaction. Drawing on a rich seam of literary, medical, media, and cinematic sources, as well as personal accounts, Broken Dreams explores how the crises of middle-aged men and women were shaped by increased life expectancy, changing family structures, shifting patterns of work, and the rise of individualism.

Contents:

1. Anatomy of a Crisis

2. Life Begins At Forty

3. Scenes from a Marriage

4. Biological Clocks

5. Families Under Stress

6. In Search of a Soul

Postscript.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781789143966

1789143969

OCLC:

1250591312