GREAT LIVES IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 302, 16 September 1933, Page 19

GREAT LIVES IN BRIEF

“William Blake” by Alan Clutton-Brock, “Sheridan” by W. A. Darlington, "Edward VH” by H. E. Wortham, “Thackeray" by G. U. Ellis, “Robert Burns” by Catherine Carswell. (London : Duckworth).

These five new volumes in the “Great Lives” series of short biographies maintain the excellent standard set by the earlier books. The first two are particularly good. Mr. Clutton-Brock’s beauti-fully-written study, as well as sketching the important events of its subject’s life, succeeds in dealing interestingly with Blake’s curious mind and psychologically is of considerable importance. The author is sympathetic and as keenly critical as he can be in sucli limited space. Mr. Darlington has written a splendid essay on Sheridan. Ho is obviously at home in the theatre and his appreciation of Sheridan’s talent is most intelligent. He gives also an excellent summing-up, the worth or otherwise of previous biographies and sketches of his subject. In a straight-forward biography of King Edward VII, Mr. Wortham tends to stress mainly the political side of his life. He shows him not. only in his personal and social life, but also as a statesman taking a worthy part in European affairs, both before and after he became King. Mr. Ellis and Mrs. Carswell, in their accounts of Thackeray nnd Burns respectively, are not so wholly successful as the other three. But for all that their books cover the ground quite adequately and easily achieve their intended purpose.