A novel based oh the life of Henry James
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"Author, Author", like Colm Toibin's "The Master", tells of a particular period of Henry James' life. David Lodge's novel takes place in the last twenty years of the 19th century when James' fortunes were at their lowest, culminating in his greatest failure, the opening and closing of his play "Guy Domville". At the centre of the novel is his friendship with the writer George Du Maurier. When James passes on using it for the basis of a novel, Du Maurier writes it instead and it becomes a bestseller. Du Maurier, however, has difficulty coping with success while James decides he must try harder to achieve it.
David Lodge brings to life a great writer. The scenes and dialogues are witty, entertaining and informative and the book reads more like a novel than a biography. "Author, Author" is extremely well read by Christopher Kay for Clipper Audio.
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Frustrating, unsatisfying ... but worth reading
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Comparisons with Toibin's "The Master" will be inevitable, and Toibin's book is undoubtedly the finer of the two. In fact the Henry James of "The Master" and the Henry James of "Author, Author" might as well be two entirely different characters who only coincidentally happen to bear the same name. Toibin captures the the interior world of James as well as the atmosphere of Victorian England, while Lodge deals with the outward events, the facts of James' life more comprehensively but with less insight. Of course, we can never know if either writer's rendering is accurate - and, as always, reality is probably only tangentially caught by either of them, but this is not a weakness in a work of fiction. The disappointing aspect of Lodge's novel is that for much of the book it reads more as a biography than a novel, with occasional dramatisations of key events, much like one of those documentaries where the narrator is occasionally replaced by actors to illutstrate the point that has just been made. Yet in the midst of this recounting of events, there often appears incongruous reminders that there is an authorial voice. To his credit, Lodge does not mimic James' prose style, although he does occasionally suggest that the authorial voice might be a contemporary (ie 19th century) one rather than a modern one with references to "word-of-mouth" or a play being a "flop" as if these terms were recent and unfamiliar inventions. Ultimately, Lodge's book disappoints - we don't really understand James more from this book than we would from a biography (which, as noted above, this book is to some extent), and Lodge's writing lacks the poetry and insight of Toibin's book. Nevertheless, for those who are interested in Henry James (and there now seems to be a lot of us for some reason), "Author, Author" is an engaging and often entertaining read, if one which doesn't satisfy in quite the same way as Toibin's "The Master" or James' own work.
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The personification of Henry James is a triumph!
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The personification of revered author Henry James is a triumph for David Lodge. For many, James' novels are rather impenetrable; skilfull prose which is hard work! Taking us behind the writing, Lodge introduces us to an endearing and definitively Victorian character, in many ways more British than American. Rigidly confined by the social mores of the time and his own self-discipline, he nevertheless resolves into a surprisingly simple character, who inspires admiration, some pity and, occasionally, frustration. Lodge avoids the ploy of some historical novelists, who name drop famous characters in order to define the period and score credibility points; he slips in appearances by well-known James' acquaintances and historical events with consumate skill and a total lack of artifice. In particular, George Du Maurier is a delight. A very fine novel, and a revelation to those, like me, who knew nothing about the background of Henry James.
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Interesting insight into gifted yet complex man.
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Despite what felt to be a slow start, David Lodge provides a lively and interesting insight into an incredibly gifted yet complex man, the late Victorian writer Henry James. By writing the story as "fiction", Lodge uses his great skill of capturing his characters essence without historical records clouding what is a man of great contrasts and depth. Some James purists may find this style offensive but that is not the intention of the author - he provides a more human insight to James than may otherwise have been achieved due to the subject's deeply personal nature and a lack of personal records. Henry James was an incredibly skilled and accomplished author who was not greatly appreciated in his own time yet arguably was the father of the modern novel. Lodge deals sympathetically with James's perceived failure of his work, his intense craving for reward both adulatory and financial that always seemed within reach, be it in periodicals, books or the stage and that yet was always just out of reach or dashed by events outside his control. He also deals deftly with the issue of James' sexuality through his relationships with contemporaries, friends and past experiences - in particular his inability to reciprocate emotions and feelings to others, especially those closest to him. Definitely worth buying if you have read and liked Lodge's earlier work.
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Not missing a sentence
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David Lodge's individual sentences are a tribute to Henry James - I reread any sentence that I feared I had missed in my haste to get to the next paragraph. The whole book is a pleasure - well structured, and such smooth flow. Apropriate for any Henry James admirer, or David Lodge admirer, and ideal for any dual admirer!
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