Overview

John Sutherland has picked out over 100 biographies from the ""Dictionary of National Biography"" to create this lively anthology of a selection of the most prominent figures in British 20th-century literature. Ever wondered...What inspires a person to write for a living? How they cope with success and failure? How some of our most famous literary characters were created? To what extent life events influence a person's writing? And to what extent the emotions of an age influence a person's writing? These profiles of the men and women who made themselves famous in the literary world present snapshots of the lives of the likes of W.H. Auden, Enid Blyton, G.K. Chesterton, T.S. Eliot, and Ethel Mannin as seen through the eyes of their friends, contemporaries, and admirers. Viewed as a collection these biographies illustrate the changing moods and developing genres in 20th-century English literature. Entries include: Stephen Spender on W.H. Auden, Paul Johnson on J.B. Priestley, Kingsley Amis on John Betjeman, Michael Denison on Noel Coward, Richard Ellmann on T.S. Eliot, John Wain on Philip Larkin, Woodrow Wyatt on Arthur Koestler, and Anthony Thwaite on Sylvia Plath.

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9780198606420

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On previous edition: ""Designed to entertain as well as to inform and reminds one of Noel Coward's film, Cavalcade: we sit down, turn the pages, and watch the British twentieth century roll by before us""--Contemporary Review ""They fill you with wonder""--The Express

'Personal knowledge' and 'private information' are the sources for many of the biographies in this selection, taken from the 20th-century supplements to the Dictionary of National Biography. Who can resist the urge to discover details of famous - and not so famous - literary lives? These details range from personal descriptions (G K Chesterton was a 'tall, clumsy, unbrushed, untidy scarecrow', Arthur Ransome 'vastly moustached') to a scholarly analysis of a poet's style (Philip Larkin was 'restlessly alive to the possibilities of form'), adding to the reader's knowledge and understanding of the writers represented. Here there is no dispute about the relevance of the details of an author's life: Nancy Mitford's five sisters and her background were reflected in her writing; is there a thesis somewhere about the fact that Sean O'Casey was the youngest of five children, Masefield orphaned young or J B Priestley an only child? Interestingly, because many pieces were written soon after the death of the subject, writers once rated highly are now forgotten. Immediacy, too, could be a disadvantage in a different way, as in the case of George Orwell (Eric Blair), for 1984 only receives a brief mention. Place and cause of death are also given; and sometimes reactions too. Joe Orton's sensational death is 'grotesque' and 'gruesome'; however, there is just a short stark sentence about Sylvia Plath's suicide. Outspokenness or reticence in other contributions reflect changing attitudes through the century. Many of the contributors are or were famous in their own right - some even have a biographical piece included (Philip Larkin and Michael Sadleir, for example). What a rich, intriguing mixture this selection is! Stephen Spender's piece on W H Auden is one example that encourages the reader to seek out Auden's poetry. 'All human life is here': what gives these biographical details their special and satisfying interest is their link with the creativity of their subjects. (Kirkus UK)

On previous edition Designed to entertain as well as to inform and reminds one of Noel Coward's film, Cavalcade we sit down, turn the pages, and watch the British twentieth century roll by before us --Contemporary Review They fill you with wonder --The Express On previous edition: Designed to entertain as well as to inform and reminds one of Noel Coward's film, Cavalcade: we sit down, turn the pages, and watch the British twentieth century roll by before us --Contemporary Review They fill you with wonder --The Express On previous edition: Designed to entertain as well as to inform and reminds one of Noel Coward's film, Cavalcade: we sit down, turn the pages, and watch the British twentieth century roll by before us --Contemporary Review They fill you with wonder --The Express On previous edition: Designed to entertain as well as to inform and reminds one of Noel Coward's film, Cavalcade: we sit down, turn the pages, and watch the British twentieth century roll by before us --Contemporary Review They fill you with wonder --The Express On previous edition: Designed to entertain as well as to inform and reminds one of Noel Coward's film, Cavalcade: we sit down, turn the pages, and watch the British twentieth century roll by before us --Contemporary Review They fill you with wonder --The Express

On previous edition: Designed to entertain as well as to inform and reminds one of Noel Coward's film, Cavalcade: we sit down, turn the pages, and watch the British twentieth century roll by before us --Contemporary Review<br> They fill you with wonder --The Express<br>

On previous edition: Designed to entertain as well as to inform and reminds one of Noel Coward's film, Cavalcade: we sit down, turn the pages, and watch the British twentieth century roll by before us --Contemporary Review They fill you with wonder --The Express

Author Information

John Sutherland is Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at University College London. He has edited a number of World's Classics, including works by Anthony Trollope, Wilkie Collins, and Thackeray. He has written and edited a number of other works. He also writes a regular column for the Guardian and reviews for a number of journals as well as on the radio.

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