George Moore, 1852-1933

by Adrian Frazier

George Moore is a large figure in Irish letters, but a curious one. Everyone knows of him, few know about him. A biography of Moore is a huge and fascinating opportunity to explore an entire cultural world. Frazier does this, never forgetting that his main task is to narrate the abundant life of Moore himself. To do so he has seen papers in Ireland, the US, Paris and London that no other scholar has used, enabling him to reconstruct the details of Moore's romantic life. Having had affairs with Pearl Craigie and Olive Schreiner, among others, Moore settled into a long and secret liaison with another man's wife, Lady Maud Cunard whose daughter, Nancy Cunard, was very probably Moore's child, as Frazier here reveals for the first time.

448 pages, Hardcover

First published April 10, 2000

Reviews

[Jim Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A masterful biography of a Victorian rebel who is now, sadly, nearly forgotten in literary history. One of the first English writers to bring French Naturalism, Symbolism and Decadence to the attention of his countrymen, he wrote a number of very influential novels and short stories in his day. And what a great subject for a bio--he knew and hated nearly everyone. He was a wit, an acerbic critic, and gossip. Delicious!