News from nowhere, or, An epoch of rest : being some chapters from a utopian romance

"News from Nowhere" is a utopian socialist novel often ignored by Marxists and others who denounce it as backward-looking. It is true that Morris's vision of a society which has reverted to a more anti-technology agricultural base seems almost gentle by contemporary standards, but careful readers will gain insights into Morris's personal philosophy through this unique work. CHAPTER I: DISCUSSION AND BED CHAPTER II: A MORNING BATH CHAPTER III: THE GUEST HOUSE AND BREAKFAST THEREIN CHAPTER IV: A MARKET BY THE WAY CHAPTER V: CHILDREN ON THE ROAD CHAPTER VI: A LITTLE SHOPPING CHAPTER VII: TRAFALGAR SQUARE CHAPTER VIII: AN OLD FRIEND CHAPTER IX: CONCERNING LOVE CHAPTER X: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CHAPTER XI: CONCERNING GOVERNMENT CHAPTER XII: CONCERNING THE ARRANGEMENT OF LIFE CHAPTER XIII: CONCERNING POLITICS CHAPTER XIV: HOW MATTERS ARE MANAGED CHAPTER XV: ON THE LACK OF INCENTIVE TO LABOUR IN A COMMUNIST SOCIETY CHAPTER XVI: DINNER IN THE HALL OF THE BLOOMSBURY MARKET CHAPTER XVII: HOW THE CHANGE CAME CHAPTER XVIII: THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW LIFE CHAPTER XIX: THE DRIVE BACK TO HAMMERSMITH CHAPTER XX: THE HAMMERSMITH GUEST-HOUSE AGAIN CHAPTER XXI: GOING UP THE RIVER CHAPTER XXII: HAMPTON COURT AND A PRAISER OF PAST TIMES CHAPTER XXIII: AN EARLY MORNING BY RUNNYMEDE CHAPTER XXIV: UP THE THAMES: THE SECOND DAY CHAPTER XXV: THE THIRD DAY ON THE THAMES CHAPTER XXVI: THE OBSTINATE REFUSERS CHAPTER XXVII: THE UPPER WATERS CHAPTER XXVIII: THE LITTLE RIVER CHAPTER XXIX: A RESTING-PLACE ON THE UPPER THAMES CHAPTER XXX: THE JOURNEY’S END CHAPTER XXXI: AN OLD HOUSE AMONGST NEW FOLK CHAPTER XXXII: THE FEAST’S BEGINNING—THE END News from Nowhere (1890) is the most famous work of one of the greatest British writers and thinkers, William Morris. It is a utopian picture of a future communist society, drawing on the work of Ruskin and Marx and written in response to what Morris saw as soulless and mechanical visions of socialism. In this work of his last years, Morris distilled many of his leading ideas on politics, art and society, imagining a world in which capitalism has been abolished by a workers' revolution and nature and society have become beautiful habitations for humanity. In an era that has seen the collapse of state socialism, Morris's damning critique of this conception, and his positing of a powerful alternative, are compelling reasons for paying attention to this classic of British socialism.