Byron: A Biography, Volume 2Knopf, 1957 Of the great romantic figures of the nineteenth century, certainly the most romantic--the most "Bryonic"--was Byron himself. It is his clear-sightedness, his candour, his steely strength of will, the immediacy of his writing, his insolence and cynicism, his love of liberty, his hatred of hypocrisy, his originality, his rational enlightened toughness which attached Byron to the present age as much as to his own. Great poet, notorious lover, fighter for freedom, this extraordinarily handsome and compelling man has continued to hold the attention and hearts of many thousands of people since the tragic end of his short life. Leslie A. Marchand's profound knowledge of his subject is unrivalled. In preparing himself for this huge task he followed Byron's trails across Europe; read and digested all of Byron's surviving letters, journals, and recorded conversations; acquainted himself with what had been written of Byron earlier, both in general books and in special monographic studies; and consulted other Byron authorities everywhere. Professor Marchand has used this abundance of material to create the living likeness of Byron more fully than it has ever been created before. His superb biography gives us an engrossing and utterly convincing portrait of a genius--a man who more than any other, fulfilled in his brillance, passion and creativity, the ideal of the Romantic Hero. The spell of this strange, unquiet, blazingly honest and infinitely endearing man, is powerful. Byron emerges as an entirely remarkable man whose compelling presence and personality shine through the record of his weaknesses, vanities, and peccadilloes. This is one of the handful of outstanding modern literary biographies, for it is not simply the life of a poet, but is instead the whole life of a man of action who was also a great poet. |
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Page 812
... Count Guiccioli , who for his own particular reasons seemed to be amazingly agreeable to his wife's amico . Teresa later admitted that the facility with which he agreed to let Byron take an apartment in his palace might have been ...
... Count Guiccioli , who for his own particular reasons seemed to be amazingly agreeable to his wife's amico . Teresa later admitted that the facility with which he agreed to let Byron take an apartment in his palace might have been ...
Page 833
... Count Guiccioli for the unhappy struggle in Venice and for the interlude when he had tried to break his chains.1 Still Byron did not know what Count Guiccioli really thought . The Count's welcome was suave and polite as ever , though he ...
... Count Guiccioli for the unhappy struggle in Venice and for the interlude when he had tried to break his chains.1 Still Byron did not know what Count Guiccioli really thought . The Count's welcome was suave and polite as ever , though he ...
Page 861
... Count Guiccioli of the Pope's decision until after she had departed , " to avoid violence or scandal . " " During this last day in the Palazzo Guiccioli , Teresa was " full of fears and anguish , " and the Count " full of suspi- cions ...
... Count Guiccioli of the Pope's decision until after she had departed , " to avoid violence or scandal . " " During this last day in the Palazzo Guiccioli , Teresa was " full of fears and anguish , " and the Count " full of suspi- cions ...
Common terms and phrases
Alborghetti Allegra Annabella arrived asked Astarte Augusta B-SP Bologna Broughton Byron told Byron wrote canto Carbonari cavalier servente Childe Harold Claire Claire Clairmont Count Guiccioli Countess daughter Diodati Don Juan England English entry feel friends Gamba Hanson heard Hobhouse diary Hobhouse proofs Hobhouse's Hoppner husband Ibid Italian knew Lady Byron Lady Melbourne later Le Mann leave Letter of Aug Letter of Dec Letter of Jan Letter of July Letter of Nov Letter of Oct Letter of Sept London Lord Byron Manfred March marriage married Mary Mary Shelley Mayne Medwin Memoirs Mira Mme de Staƫl Moore morning Murray MSS never Newstead night Origo passion perhaps poem poet poetry Polidori published Ravenna replied Seaham seems sent Shelley Shelley's Six Mile Bottom stanzas story Teresa thing thought tion took Venetian Venice wife wish woman write written