Books & Characters French & English

by Lytton Strachey

"Books & Characters" is a collection of literary essays by using Lytton Strachey, a prominent British writer and critic of the early 20th century. The book offers insightful and unconventional biographical sketches of numerous literary figures, presenting readers with a unique attitude on the lives and personalities of those exquisite individuals. Strachey's writing fashion is characterized via its wit, humor, and a keen feel of observation. In every essay, he skillfully unveils the complexities of the featured authors and their works, imparting a refreshing departure from conventional biographical strategies. The book covers a numerous range of figures, along with Victor Hugo, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Thomas De Quincey, amongst others. Strachey's "Books & Characters" is celebrated for its progressive technique to literary criticism, imparting a mix of biography and literary analysis that demanding situations conventional norms. By delving into the quirks and idiosyncrasies of every writer, Strachey offers readers with a deeper knowledge of the creative minds in the back of the literary masterpieces of the time. The series stands as a testomony to Strachey's intellectual prowess and his contribution to shaping the panorama of modern literary complaint.

Genres: Essays

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1922

About the author

Giles Lytton Strachey was a British writer and critic. He is best known for establishing a new form of biography in which psychological insight and sympathy are combined with irreverence and wit. His 1921 biography Queen Victoria was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.

Reviews

[Bryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure if this really deserves four stars, because I'm not certain why I enjoyed these essays so much. Some of it is certainly they were mostly on authors I'm interested in but don't know very much about (Racine, Voltaire, Rousseau), and some of it is that Strachey's voice mixed humour and sincerity in a way that really worked for me. But really, it is a mystery; it was just the right book at the right time, very soothing to read at night before sleep.

Oh, I also wanted to mention -- there is a lot of untranslated French in this book, but between my high school French classes and the Kindle app's built-in translator I had no problem with it. I think if I'd read this book pre-Kindle (or on paper) it would've been very frustrating!

[Paul Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strachey's scholastic credentials are evident however in this book there are but rare glimses of his concision and wit. Far too many of the accounts are laboured, prolix and frankly, dull.

[Avis Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Available at Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12478