John Bayley was a distinguished British literary critic and novelist whose work is celebrated for its sharp insights into literature. His writings delve deeply into textual analysis and authorial intent, skillfully blending academic rigor with an accessible prose style. Through his critical essays and novels, Bayley reveals a profound understanding of literary traditions and the complexities of the human psyche. His intellectual breadth and sensitive approach cemented his reputation as a significant voice in British literary discourse.
Approaching the tragedies as drama, wondering about their characters as he might have wondered about people in novels or in life, the author gives us a true sense of 'the tragedies joining up with life, with all our lives; leading us into a perspective of possibilities that stretch forward and back in time, and in our total awareness of things.
The greatest of Russian novelists believed that "whatever the artist depicts - saints, robbers, kings, or lackeys - we seek and see only the artist's own soul". The soul that shines through the work of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828-1910) is a vast and contradictory thing. It generates the narrative floodtides of War and Peace and Anna Karenina and short stories so intimate that we seem to inhabit their characters rather than just observe them. Tolstoy's soul is that of a consummate artist who despises artfulness and seeks to approximate the disorder of life, of a sensualist who aspires to sainthood, of an aristocrat who identifies fiercely with the small and humble.All the aspects of Tolstoy's work and character are on display in this masterful anthology. The Portable Tolstoy includes a complete short novel, The Kreutzer Sonata; passages from the author's fictional memoirs of his childhood, youth and military life; excerpts from The Cossacks; The short stories "The Wood-Felling,""Master and Man," and "How Much Land Does a Man Need?"; the play "The Power of Darkness"; selections from such philosophic, social and critical writings as "A Confession" and "What Is Art?"; and a chronology, bibliography and critical introduction by the renowned scholar John Bayley. The result is a splendid and authoritative volume of work by a writer whose moral vision, narrative powers, and stylistic range all but defy containment.
Focusing on Pushkin as a critic, this book explores his complex relationship with literature, showcasing his enthusiasm, judgments, and frustrations. It presents the complete set of his critical writings in English, covering his reflections on both his own work and influential European authors like Byron and Shakespeare. Organized chronologically, each section includes biographical insights that track Pushkin's literary evolution, offering a captivating look into his intellectual passions through letters, articles, and notes.
A Study in Bereavement, or How Margot and Mella Forced Me to Flee My Home
Following the loss of his wife, renowned author Iris Murdoch, retired professor John Bayley finds his life transformed. As he navigates his grief, he receives an overwhelming outpouring of sympathy from fans of both Murdoch's work and his own memoir, Elegy for Iris. However, the situation becomes complicated with numerous visits from well-meaning women, bringing food and unsolicited advice, all eager to support the grieving widower. This poignant narrative explores themes of loss, memory, and the unexpected challenges of moving forward.
On they went singing 'Eternal Memory', and whenever they stopped, the sound of their feet, the horses and the gusts of wind seemed to carry on their singing ...Doctor Zhivago is the epic novel of Russia in the throes of revolution and one of the greatest love stories ever told. Yuri Zhivago, physician and poet, wrestles with the new order and confronts the changes cruel experience has made in him and the anguish of being torn between the love of two women.
After more than three years suffering from Alzheimer's disease, the novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch died in January 1999. Earlier that month she was taken to a home for the terminally ill, and she remained radiant and calm for the last weeks of her life. The last year or so of Iris Murdoch's life provides the framework for this book, but within this structure, John Bayley returns repeatedly to memories of his own earlier life, and of more than 40 years of marriage to Iris. Alzheimer's is a lonely predicament for the carer, and Bayley describes how he coped with the ordeal of watching his wife become terminally ill by forming a growing dependency on memory as a stand-by, consolation and friend.
In this memoir, Bayley describes the life he has shared with his wife, Iris Murdoch, afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. He explains how he has coped emotionally and practically with the illness that has beset the woman he loves and cherishes.
With Memoirs Of Royal And Distinguished Persons (1830)