Consideredto be the founding father of British cultural theory, Williams wasconcerned throughout his life to apply a materialist and socialistanalysis to all forms of culture, defined generously and inclusively as"structures of feeling." In this major work, Williams applies himselfto the problem of modernism. Rejecting stereotypes and simplifications,he is especially preoccupied with the ambivalent relationship betweenrevolutionary socialist politics and the artistic avant-garde.Judiciously assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the modernistproject, Williams shifts the framework of discussion from merely formalanalysis of artistic techniques to one which grounds these culturalexpressions in particular social formations. Animating the whole bookis the question which Williams poses and brings us significantly closerto answering: namely, what does it mean to develop a cultural analysisthat goes "beyond the modern" and yet avoids the trap ofpostmodernism's "new conformism"?