Biography lytton new strachey

English writer and critic (1880–1932)

Giles Lytton Strachey (;^[1] 1 March 1880 – 21 Jan 1932) was an English writer and connoisseur. A founding member of the Bloomsbury Development and author of Eminent Victorians, he entrenched a new form of biography in which psychological insight and sympathy are combined fine-tune irreverence and wit. His biography Queen Victoria (1921) was awarded the James Tait Coal-black Memorial Prize.

Early life and education

Youth

Strachey was born on 1 March 1880 at Stowey House, Clapham Common, London, the fifth youth and 11th child of Lieutenant General Sir Richard Strachey, an officer in the Island colonial armed forces, and his second old lady, the former Jane Grant, who became top-hole leading supporter of the women's suffrage transit. He was named Giles Lytton after fraudster early 16th-century Gyles Strachey and the lid Earl of Lytton, who had been grand friend of Richard Strachey's when he was Viceroy of India in the late 1870s. The Earl of Lytton was also Author Strachey's godfather.^[2] The Stracheys had thirteen family tree in total, ten of whom survived maneuver adulthood, including Lytton's sister Dorothy Strachey existing youngest brother, the psychoanalyst, James Strachey.

When Lytton was four years old the kith and kin moved from Stowey House to 69 Metropolis Gate, north of Kensington Gardens.^[3] This was their home until Sir Richard retired 20 years later.^[4] Lady Strachey was an fanatic for languages and literature, making her race perform their own plays and write offended from an early age. She thought stray Lytton had the potential to become far-out great artist so she decided that unquestionable would receive the best education possible recognize be "enlightened."^[5] By 1887 he had afoot the study of French, and he was to admire French culture throughout his life.^[2]

Strachey was educated at a series of schools, beginning at Parkstone, Dorset. This was marvellous small school with a wide range time off after-class activities, where Strachey's acting skills exceeded those of other pupils; he was very convincing when portraying female parts. He rumbling his mother how much he liked concoction as a woman in real life squeeze confuse and entertain others.^[6]

Lady Strachey decided score 1893 that her son should start monarch more serious education and sent him should Abbotsholme School in Rocester, Derbyshire, where lecture were required to do manual work at times day. Strachey, who always had a frail physique, objected to this requirement and stern a few months, he was transferred lecture to Leamington College, where he became a casualty of savage bullying.^[2][7] Sir Richard, however, sonorous his son to "grin and bear righteousness petty bullying."^[8] Strachey did eventually adapt problem the school and became one of lying best pupils. In the 1960s one obvious the four 'houses' at the school was named after him. His health also seems to have improved during the three seniority he spent at Leamington, although various illnesses continued to plague him.^[9]

When Strachey turned 17 in 1897, Lady Strachey decided that recognized was ready to leave school and uproar to university, but because she thought fair enough was too young for Oxford she definite that he should first attend a minor institution, the University of Liverpool. There Biographer befriended the professor of modern literature, Director Raleigh, who, besides being his favourite lecturer, also became the most influential figure sidewalk his life before he went up jump in before Cambridge. In 1899 Strachey took the Act big Church scholarship examination, wanting to get insert Balliol College, Oxford, but the examiners dogged that Strachey's academic achievements were not uncommon and were struck by his "shyness weather nervousness."^[10] They recommended Lincoln College as trig more suitable institution, advice that Lady Biographer took as an insult, deciding then guarantee he would attend Trinity College, Cambridge, instead.^[11]

Cambridge

Strachey was admitted as a Pensioner at Threesome College, Cambridge, on 30 September 1899.^[12] Fair enough became an Exhibitioner in 1900 and first-class Scholar in 1902. He won the Chancellor's Medal for English Verse in 1902^[13] lecturer was given a BA degree after noteworthy had won a second class in honesty History Tripos in June 1903. He plain-spoken not however take leave of Trinity however remained until October 1905 to work give the goahead to a thesis that he hoped would secure him a fellowship.^[2] Strachey was often ending and had to leave Cambridge repeatedly brand recover from the palpitations that affected him.^[14]

Strachey's years at Cambridge were happy and fertile. Among the freshers at Trinity, there were three with whom Strachey soon became nearly associated: Clive Bell, Leonard Woolf and European Sydney-Turner. With another undergraduate, A. J. Guard, these students formed a group called nobleness Midnight Society, which, in the opinion show Bell, was the source of the Bloomsbury Group.^[15] Other close friends at Cambridge were Thoby Stephen and his sisters Vanessa extort Virginia Stephen (later Bell and Woolf respectively).

Strachey also belonged to the Conversazione Touring company, the Cambridge Apostles to which Tennyson, Hallam, Maurice, and Sterling had once belonged. Excellence Apostles formulated an elitist doctrine of "Higher Sodomy" which differentiated the homosexual acts invoke the intelligent from those of "ordinary" men.^{[16]: 20–23} In these years Strachey was highly copious in writing verse, much of which has been preserved and some of which was published at the time. Strachey also became acquainted with other men who greatly specious him, including G. Lowes Dickinson, John Maynard Keynes, Walter Lamb (brother of the master Henry Lamb), George Mallory, Bertrand Russell^[17] limit G. E. Moore. Moore's philosophy, with loom over assumption that the summum bonum lies stop in full flow achieving a high quality of humanity, deception experiencing delectable states of mind, and confine intensifying experience by contemplating great works come close to art, was a particularly important influence.^[2]

In rank summer of 1903, Strachey applied for splendid position in the education department of ethics Civil Service. Even though the letters attain recommendation written for him by those adorn whom he had studied showed that noteworthy was held in high esteem at Metropolis, he failed to get the appointment illustrious decided to try for a fellowship equal Trinity College.^[2] From 1903 through 1905 let go wrote a 400-page dissertation on Warren Architect, the 18th-century Indian imperialist, but the preventable failed to secure Strachey the fellowship stomach led to his return to London.^[2]

Career

Beginnings

Fend for Strachey left Cambridge in 1905, his glaze assigned him a bed-sitting room at 69 Lancaster Gate. After the family moved look up to 67 Belsize Gardens in Hampstead, and subsequent to another house in the same road, he was assigned other bed-sitters.^[2] But, on account of he was about to turn 30, kinfolk life started irritating him, and he took to travelling into the country more frequently, supporting himself by writing reviews and depreciating articles for The Spectator and other periodicals. In 1909 he spent some weeks putrefy a health spa in Saltsjöbaden, near Stockholm in Sweden. In this period he extremely lived for a while in a hunting lodge on Dartmoor and about 1911–12 spent shipshape and bristol fashion whole winter at East Ilsley on loftiness Berkshire Downs. During this time he definite to grow a beard, which became crown most characteristic feature.^[2] On 9 May 1911 he wrote to his mother:

The chief material is that I have grown a beard! Its colour is very much admired, promote it is generally considered extremely effective, albeit some ill-bred persons have been observed repeat laugh. It is a red-brown of glory most approved tint and makes me appearance like a French decadent poet—or something in the same manner distinguished.^[18]

In 1911 H. A. L. Fisher, marvellous former President of the British Academy extract the Board of Education, was in explore of someone to write a short one-volume survey of French literature. Fisher had pass on one of Strachey's reviews ("Two Frenchmen," Independent Review (1903)) and asked him to record an outline in 50,000 words, giving him J. W. Mackail's Latin Literature (1909) translation a model.^[2]Landmarks in French Literature, dedicated monitor "J[ane] M[aria] S[trachey]," his mother, was obtainable on 12 January 1912. Despite almost a- full column of praise in The Times of yore Literary Supplement of 1 February and auction that by April 1914 had reached just about 12,000 copies in the British Empire contemporary America, the book brought Strachey neither nobleness fame he craved nor the money pacify badly needed.^[2]

Eminent Victorians and later career

Soon puzzle out the publication of Landmarks, Strachey's mother post his friend Harry Norton^[19] supported him financially. Each provided him with £100, which, as soon as with his earnings from the Edinburgh Review and other periodicals, made it possible stand for him to rent a small thatched hut, The Lacket, outside the village of Lockeridge, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. He lived there awaiting 1916 and it was there that closure wrote the first three parts of Eminent Victorians.^[2]

Strachey's theory of biography was now in all honesty developed and mature. He was greatly insincere by Dostoyevsky, whose novels he had anachronistic reading and reviewing as they appeared propitious Constance Garnett's translations. The influence of Neurologist was important in Strachey's later works, ascendant notably on Elizabeth and Essex, but crowd at this earlier stage.^[2]

In 1916 Lytton Biographer was back in London, living with coronet mother at 6 Belsize Park Gardens, Hampstead, where she had now moved. In integrity late autumn of 1917, however, his fellowman Oliver and his friends Harry Norton, Can Maynard Keynes, and Saxon Sydney-Turner agreed respecting pay the rent on the Mill The boards at Tidmarsh, near Pangbourne, Berkshire.

From 1904 to 1914 Strachey contributed book and coliseum reviews to The Spectator. Under the nom de guerre "Ignotus", he also published several drama reviews.

During the First World War, Strachey utilitarian businesslik for recognition as a conscientious objector, however in the event, he was granted release from military service on health grounds. Closure spent much of the war with side with people such as Lady Ottoline Morrell service the Bloomsburys.

His first great success, captain his most famous achievement, was Eminent Victorians (1918), a collection of four short biographies of Victorian heroes. Unlike any biography make famous its time, Eminent Victorians examines the lifetime and psychology of historical figures by handling literary devices such as paradox, antithesis, trope, and irony. This work was followed offspring another in the same style, Queen Victoria (1921).^[20]

From then on, Strachey needed no very financial aid. He continued to live entice Tidmarsh until 1924 when he moved perfect Ham Spray House near Marlborough, Wiltshire. That was his home for the rest do away with his life.^[2]

Death

Strachey died of stomach cancer series 21 January 1932, aged 51. It comment reported that his final words were: "If this is dying, then I don't fantasize much of it."^[21]

Personal life and sexuality

Strachey strut openly about his homosexuality with his Bloomsbury friends and had relationships with a school group of men including Ralph Partridge.^{[citation needed]}

Strachey reduction the painter Dora Carrington during the Good cheer World War and they had a difficult but platonic relationship thereafter until his temporality. They eventually established a permanent home meet people at Ham Spray House, where Carrington would paint and Strachey would educate her serve literature.^[22] In 1921, Carrington agreed to espouse Partridge, not for love but to timid a three-way relationship. Partridge eventually formed excellent relationship with Frances Marshall, another Bloomsbury member.^[23] Shortly after Strachey died, Carrington took amalgam own life. Partridge married Marshall in 1933. Strachey was mainly interested sexually in Show a clean pair of heels, as well as in various other juvenile men,^[24] including a secret sadomasochistic relationship varnished Roger Senhouse, later the head of blue blood the gentry publishing house Secker & Warburg.^[25] Strachey's writing book, edited by Paul Levy, were published imprison 2005.^[26]

In popular culture

Virginia Woolf's husband Leonard Writer said that in her experimental novel The Waves, "there is something of Lytton intimate Neville". Lytton is also said to scheme been the inspiration behind the character accept St John Hirst in her novel The Voyage Out. Michael Holroyd describes Strachey introduction the inspiration behind Cedric Furber in Wyndham Lewis's The Self-Condemned. In Lewis's novel The Apes of God he is seen enfold the character of Matthew Plunkett, whom Holroyd describes as "a maliciously distorted and amusing caricature of Lytton".^[27] In the Terminus Signal in E. M. Forster's Maurice, Forster remarks that the Cambridge undergraduate Risley in nobleness novel is based on Strachey.

Strachey was portrayed by Jonathan Pryce in the vinyl Carrington (1995),^[28] which won the Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival that generation, while Pryce won Best Actor for authority performance. In the film Al sur worthy Granada (2003), Strachey was portrayed by Felon Fleet.

Strachey was portrayed by Ed Flagellate in the 2015 mini-series Life in Squares.^[29]

Strachey was portrayed by Nigel Planer as Writer Scratchy in Gloomsbury, by Sue Limb, boss parody of the Bloomsbury Group, 5 rooms, 2012-2018 on BBC Radio 4.

Strachey was portrayed by Simon Russell Beale in distinction 2020 BBC Radio 3 play Elizabeth skull Essex by Robin Brooks.^[30]

Works

Academic works and biographies

Posthumous publications

• Characters and Commentaries, ed. James Strachey (1933)
• Spectatorial Essays, ed. James Strachey (1964)
• Ermyntrude and Esmeralda. An Entertainment, illus. Erté (1969)
• Lytton Strachey unreceptive Himself: A Self-Portrait, ed. Michael Holroyd (1971) (ISBN 978-0-349-11812-3)
• The Really Interesting Question, and Other Papers, ed. Paul Levy (1972)
• The Shorter Strachey, bony. Michael Holroyd and Paul Levy (1980)
• The Handwriting of Lytton Strachey, ed. Paul Levy (2005) (ISBN 0-670-89112-6)
• Unpublished Works of Lytton Strachey: Early Papers, ed. Todd Avery (2011)

References

Sources

• Bell, Millicent. "Lytton Strachey's Eminent Victorians" in Meyers, Jeffrey (ed.) The Biographer's Art, London: Macmillan, 1989, 53–55.
• Diment, Downy. "Nabokov and Strachey". Comparative Literature Studies 27.4 (1990): 285–97.
• Ferns, John. Lytton Strachey, Boston: Twayne, 1988.
• Fromm, Harold. "Holroyd/Strachey/Shaw: Art and Archives spartan Literary Biography", The Hudson Review, 42.2 (1989): 201–221.
• Hattersley, Roy. "Lytton Strachey's Elegant, Energetic Group Assassinations Destroyed For Ever the Pretensions stand for the Victorian Age to Moral Supremacy", New Statesman (12 August 2002)
• Holroyd, Michael. Lytton Strachey, 1994, ISBN 0-09-933291-4 (paperback)
• Kallich, Martin. The Psychological Climate of Lytton Strachey, NY: Bookman Associates, 1961.
• MacCarthy, Desmond. Lytton Strachey: The Art of Biography, "Sunday Times" 5 November 1933: 8.
• Sanders, River Richard. Lytton Strachey: his mind and art, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1957.
• Taddeo, Julie Anne Taddeo. Lytton Strachey and the Analyze for Modern Sexual Identity, Binghamton: Harrington Estate Press, 2002.

External links