The Gentle Anarchist: A Life of George Woodcock

by Douglas Fetherling

This great champion of Canadian literature was in his late thirties when he arrived from Britain - and in his mid-forties when he finally settled for good in his beloved Vancouver. Until now, readers could only infer Woodcock's motivation for reinventing himself through immigration, to the extent of virtually giving himself a new personality befitting his new environment. Now, partly through privileged access to Woodcock's private papers and partly through interviews with his associates and colleagues on both sides of the Atlantic, a fuller, more detailed picture emerges. The Gentle Anarchist balances Woodcock's interior existence with his professional self and explores the benevolent demons that pushed him to heroic feats of composition and kindness.

Hardcover

First published May 3, 1998

Reviews

[Nick Reeves]

A great introduction, and companion piece to his Essays on Orwell.

[Diana Sandberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, not bad, but I wasn’t sufficiently interested to finish the book. The writing was intelligent without being dreary, but I couldn’t find the life itself worth spending time with.

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am now convinced that Woodcock was a self-serving phony. That was not the author's intention.