Customer Reviews

Byron's Letters and Journals, Volume VI: 'The flesh is frail', 1818-1819

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I think it was beat poet Philip Whalen who called Byron a smart cookie after reading an early edition of Mad Bad George Gordon's letters and journals. Bang on, Phil. . . If you consider Byron one of the lesser lights of English poetry, I might not argue (tho Beppo and Don Juan are both a flat-out scream). But his letters and intermittent diary entries place him among the great wits of all time. They are endlessly entertaining and I'll never stop reading these books with enormous pleasure. It's particularly enjoyable to read the endless barbs and shots (and verse parodies) he aims at his publisher, John Murray. These are expensive volumes but they represent outstanding value. Buy 'em all while they're available. . .