Just a tiny round-up today to cover almost the last two books I read in July (one Ann Bridge review to come!) plus a naughty but nice acquisition.
First off, I was lucky enough to get two fab mid-20th-century biographies to review for Shiny New Books. I love being part of the non-fiction gang, and these two really fitted in well with my interests. Snippets here, but do pop through to the full reviews.
And then I might have bought something to read for #Woolfalong. Oops.
Philip Eade – “Evelyn Waugh: A Life Revisited”
When approaching a biography of Evelyn Waugh, one can’t help but assume it’s going to be a portrait of quite a nasty man who was mean to his friends and savaged friends and enemies alike in his novels. There have of course been quite a few biographical works on Waugh over the years, with his own autobiography being a major source, and there was Selina Hastings’ major work in 1994. But this is indeed a ‘Life Revisited’, as Philip Eade had access to quite a few sources that no one else has seen. He also seems to have a mission to save Waugh from this reputation of nastiness, and does indeed go some way towards doing this. Read more
Damian Collins – “Charmed Life: The Phenomenal World of Philip Sassoon”
Damian Collins, MP for the same constituency that Sassoon held almost uncontested (literally, sometimes) for three and a half decades, only came across his predecessor when he visited the estate of Port Lympne, which Sassoon created from nothing and fitted out lavishly. He posits that Sassoon always felt something of an outsider due to his ‘oriental’ and Jewish heritage, and there’s an implicit suggestion that this is the reason that this the first biography of the man to emerge. However, there may be other reasons for this. Read more
—
Now, this acquisition is entirely Not My Fault, and probably actually Doesn’t Count. Heaven-Ali’s #Woolfalong project is up to Phase 4: Biographies. I was entirely prepared to re-read the lovely “Orlando”, which counts. Then Karen from Kaggsysbookishramblings wickedly posted a blog post about working on this phase, mentioning a Woolf bio that I had never come across before: “Recollections of Virginia Woolf”. I have a lot of bios of VW, but I’d never seen this. Then I had. A bit of a look on the dreaded Amazon, and what do I find, but the lovely High Street Books in New Mills is selling a copy.
So it had to be done, didn’t it – and it arrived today, looking very tempting. I have a little road trip coming up soon and I think it will be coming with me – there or to Iceland … Of course, one very good thing is that it was published in 1976, a year that is missing in my Century of Books. So that’s OK, then, right?
Aug 04, 2016 @ 14:18:35
Absolutely fine. It had to be done. It was one you didn’t have and it filled in a gap year – plus it looks great! I may be reading this one too. Always happy to be a bad influence when it comes to books! :)))
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aug 04, 2016 @ 14:25:08
It does look brilliant, doesn’t it. Go on!! Loved your review of “The Adolescent” in SNB by the way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aug 04, 2016 @ 14:31:11
I may well do. And thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
Aug 04, 2016 @ 14:34:45
Loved your Waugh review, BTW – a good place to start if one wanted to read a biog of the man, do you think?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aug 04, 2016 @ 14:35:31
I think so – it’s pretty readable and not too long, plus has all this new info from sources available to no one else.
LikeLike
Aug 04, 2016 @ 14:39:32
Excellent – I’ll hit the library!
LikeLike
Aug 04, 2016 @ 15:38:15
That counts for #Woolfalong lucky you and one I didn’t have on the list because I didn’t know it existed. There again I couldn’t have listed all the possible books for phase 4 because there have been so many.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aug 04, 2016 @ 15:39:44
There are lots and lots, and I have many of them, and I’d never even heard of this one!
LikeLike
Aug 05, 2016 @ 06:07:32
your defence of the book purchase is utterly plausible so while guilty I think we will agree there are mitigating circumstances and let you off just this once.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aug 05, 2016 @ 06:17:11
I feel totally vindicated now!!
LikeLike
Aug 29, 2016 @ 07:02:00