Bloomsbury's Outsider: A Life of David GarnettThe first biography of David Garnett goes beyond stereotype and myth and presents a clear sighted account of this often contradictory figure at the centre of literary London in the era of the Bloomsbury Group. Shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for best biography 2016 Book of the Year 2015 Sunday Times Book of the Year 2015 Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year 2015 Evening Standard Book of the Year 2015 New Zealand Listener Shortlisted for the Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize 2015 Literary Sensation, Lover, Libertine, Family Man Award-winning novelist and towering figure of the 20th century British literary landscape, David Garnett was a Bloomsbury insider ultimately pushed to the margins. In this, the first biography of Garnett, (known as Bunny), author Sarah Knights – who has had unprecedented access to Garnett's papers – goes beyond stereotype and myth to present a clear sighted account of this often contradictory figure. Trained as a scientist, Garnett worked as a novelist and wrote exquisite prose. Lady into Fox was made into a Rambert ballet and Aspects of Love into an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. In the First World War, he was a conscientious objector whereas in the Second he worked for British intelligence. A free love enthusiast, he nevertheless married. He loathed literary criticism but became a leading literary critic. Born into the Victorian period, Garnett's life spanned two World Wars, the Swinging Sixties and beyond. From pre-Revolutionary Russia, by way of Indian Nationalists in London and carefree Neo-Paganism, Garnett's early life was packed with adventure. Propelled by a desire to be constantly in love, he dazzled men and women, believing the person mattered, irrespective of gender. An overnight literary sensation in the 1920s he was at the centre of literary London. Confidante and mentor of many writers, T. E. Lawrence, Rupert Brooke, D. H. Lawrence, Joseph Conrad and H. G. Wells, were among his friends. Garnett felt most at home with the Bloomsbury Group, in particular with Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, his lover, with whom he lived during the First World War. Their long friendship was threatened, however, when Garnett's cradle-side prophecy to marry their daughter Angelica came true. David 'Bunny' Garnett is brought to life by Ben Lloyd-Hughes and Jack Davenport in the BBC series 'Life in Squares'. |
Contents
Chapter Five | |
Chapter Seven | |
Chapter Nine | |
Chapter Eleven | |
Chapter Thirteen | |
Chapter Fifteen | |
Chapter TwentyFour | |
Chapter TwentySix | |
Chapter TwentyEight | |
Chapter Thirty | |
Chapter ThirtyTwo | |
Chapter ThirtyFour | |
Chapter ThirtySix | |
Afterlife | |
Chapter Seventeen | |
Chapter Nineteen | |
Chapter TwentyOne | |
Chapter TwentyThree | |
Acknowledgements | |
Footnotes | |
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Common terms and phrases
Alix Amaryllis April August AVG/DG Bell Birrell & Garnett Bloomsbury Bunny and Angelica Bunny and Ray Bunny felt Bunny found Bunny received Bunny thought Bunny told Bunny took Bunny wrote Bunny’s Cearne Charleston Charry Chatto & Windus Constance Curtiss D.H. Lawrence David Garnett death December DG’s DG/AVG DG/CG DG/F DG/M DG/RAG diary entry Duncan Grant Edward enjoyed February feel Frances Partridge Frankie friends friendship Geoffrey Geoffrey Keynes George Gordon Square happy Henrietta Hilton Hall HRRC January Julian Bell July June Lady into Fox later Lawrence’s letter literary live London lover Lytton Strachey Magouche March marriage memoirs Meynell Noel Olivier Nonesuch Press Northwestern novel November October Olivier Pocket Diary Prentice published Ray’s relationship returned Richard Richard Garnett Rupert HartDavis Savarkar September sexual stay Street Sylvia Townsend Warner telling told Bunny Vanessa Virginia wanted weekend William Wissett Woolf writing wrote to Bunny young