Author Description
When A.J.A. Symons died in 1941 he was known to a wide public as author of an "experiment in biography", The Quest For Corvo, which is one of the more remarkable biographies of the inter-war period; and to a more limited one as a bibliographer, gourmet, dandy, wit and fantastic (and mysterious) character. This book about him by his brother Julian commemorates a meteoric career in literary society.Julian Symons tales of the First Edition Club which is brother directed from one room in the Pall Mall, and of its influence on English bibliography; of the Wine and Food Society, that gourmets' paradise, which A.J.A. Symons founded with André L. Simon; of "A.J.'s" skill as calligrapher and amateur forger, of his eccentricities as collector and dandy. The portrait which emerges is of a multi-faceted and memorable character, a social adventurer with a sense of style, a fastidious literary buccaneer whose own life was in many ways as remarkable as that of his biographical subject, "Baron Corvo". Among the many epitaphs A.J.A. Symons wrote for himself, one in particular seemed suitable to his adventurous spirit: "No one so poor has lived so well."Julian Symons is himself a poet and critic of distinction. He has written this biography of his brother with a coolness and subdued irony that transform what might have been a record of family piety into a notable work of literature.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This biography investigates the life and complex persona of A.J.A. Symons, a figure defined by his dual reputation as a literary innovator and a social eccentric. Julian Symons, an established critic and the subject's brother, utilizes personal correspondence, family records, and professional archives to construct a portrait of a man who navigated the inter-war literary scene with calculated flair. The author argues that A.J.A. Symons’s life was a deliberate performance, characterized by his roles as a bibliographer, gourmet, and social adventurer.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed accounts of the founding of the First Edition Club and the Wine and Food Society.
- Analysis of A.J.A. Symons’s contributions to bibliography and his interest in calligraphy and forgery.
- Insights into the social dynamics of the British literary elite during the inter-war period.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide an exhaustive academic bibliography of all works mentioned.
- It focuses primarily on the public and social persona rather than private psychological analysis.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Critics frequently observe that Julian Symons maintains a detached, ironic tone that prevents the narrative from devolving into mere hagiography. The book is widely regarded as a significant contribution to the study of twentieth-century literary figures and the social history of the period.
Page Count:
304
Publication Date:
1986-01-01
ISBN-10:
019281916X
ISBN-13:
9780192819161
Biography
Non-Fiction
Memoir
Literary History
Reference
British literature