George Gordon, Lord Byron (British Library Writers' Lives)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.70 (527 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0712346570 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 128 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-02-18 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Martin Garrett is a lifelong aficionado of 19th-century English literature. Dr. His previous books include Greece: A Literary Companion and Mary Shelley: A Chronology.
"Excellent Summary" according to Bill Moor. As I said of the Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats volumes, this entire series, sadly not fully available, is an excellent introduction or, as in my case, re-introduction to the background and development of Byron, a rather self-absorbed and unappealing man. I particularly enjoyed the visuals as adding to the sense of time and place. Also, the description of Byron's relationship to other artists of the period (and historical events) added further depth
However, Byron's position as the toast of society was eclipsed by public disgrace, not helped by the scandal of the breakdown of his marriage, the birth of a daughter to his half-sister Augusta, and Lady Caroline Lamb who spread rumours of his "unnatural practices". Martin Garrett examines his poetry in the context of his short, eventful life. Martin Garrett relates how Byron spent the last ten years of his life travelling in Europe, and when he died aged 36 in 1824, his memoirs were burnt by friends who wished to protect his reputation from more scandal.. His work was sensational from the start - and the public association of the author directly with the hero of poems such as "Don Juan" and "Childe Harold" helped to make them the bestsellers of their day. An introduction to the life and work of Lord Byron
On the negative side, the index seems a bit sparse and the story often seems better told by the well-chosen pictures than the text, which occasionally is in need of one last grammar check. Also, there is no attempt to place Byron within the context of the greater "Romantic" movement, and there is merely a suggestion of his critical standing today. From School Library JournalGr 9 Up-Written in a loose, baggy, sometimes overly familiar style, this brief, well-illustrated biography isn't a half-bad introduction to one of the most romantic of Romantic poets. Packe