Noble Essences: A Book of Characters

Autobiography #5

by Osbert Sitwell

Book by Sitwell, Osbert

356 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, Bt.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final volume of the autobiography, rather different in that it is designed around chapters about particular friends. Literary and artistic biography, then, or anecdotes. It includes stories about people who are not the main subjects, too. Interesting background to the artistic scene in the 1920s and 1930s (mainly), including some surprises (W.H. Davies, a Bohemian Icelandic playwright, friends of Oscar Wilde, and a story about Sickert possibly knowing the identity of Jack the Ripper - I'm sure that both he and the author would be astonished by recent theories in that direction!) Overall, very readable, less about the author himself, conveys the atmosphere of a particular social set very well.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

“[William] Morris had sent D.G. Rossetti a copy of Sigurd the Volsung when it appeared. As time went by, and no letter of thanks or appreciation arrived from him, Morris grew more and more annoyed. Eventually one morning he charged—he was a very burly man—into Rossetti’s studio and at once broached the subject with a typical directness. ‘Evidently,’ he boomed at his friend, who was painting, ‘you do not like my book, or you would have written me about it.’ ‘To tell you the truth, Topsy,’ the other confessed with nonchalance, ‘I must own that I find it difficult to take much interest in a man whose father was a dragon.’ Morris at once brought the conversation down to a more human level by roaring out, ‘I don’t see it’s any odder than having a brother who’s an idiot!’ and rushed out of the room.”

(Rossetti’s brother was William Michael Rossetti.)