Byron, a Self-portrait: Letters and Diaries, 1798 to 1824, with Hitherto Unpublished Letters, Volume 1Literary legend has it that Byron left behind the beginnings of an autobiography, but that his publisher, John Murray, destroyed it after his death because he found it too shocking. With this fascinating selection of correspondence written by one of England's greatest letter writers, Peter Quennell comes as close as anyone can to salvaging what was lost by the alleged actions of one overcautious publisher. Drawing on letters from Byron's pre-Harrow days to those written in the weeks before his death, Quennell has pieced together the extraordinary story of Byron's life as told by himself. As Byron records his thoughts as a schoolboy, man-of-the-world, rake and womanizer, literary sensation, and poet-in-exile, he reveals the rebellious, warm-hearted, disorderly, fun-loving, and neurotic sides to his private character. The volume conveys how his writing, veering from racy vulgarity to polished eloquence, vividly evokes the worlds in which he lived--London and Venetian high society, the Swiss and Italian countryside, and the Greek war tents at Missolonghi. It also includes Byron's journals reprinted in full. -- goodreads.com |
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acquaintance Adieu admire affectionately Albanians Ali Pacha amuse ANNE ISABELLA MILBANKE answer Athens AUGUSTA LEIGH beautiful believe Byron called Cambridge damned DEAR LADY DEAR LY dearest devil dine Drury England epistle favour fear feel Fletcher Giaour girl glad Hanson happy Harrow hear heard Hodgson Holland honour hope JOHN CAM HOBHOUSE kind LADY CAROLINE LAMB LADY MELBOURNE late laugh least letter London look Lord Lord Byron Lord Holland Malta married mean Milbanke Miss Morea morning mother Murray never Newstead Abbey night opinion Pacha passed Patras perhaps person poem Pray present pretty received recollect regret remember rhyme Scrope Seaham seen sent sincere Southwell suppose sure talk tell thing THOMAS MOORE thought to-day to-morrow told town Troad Webster wife wish woman women wonder word write written yesterday وو