Carrington: A Life [Paperback]

Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995

Here is an absorbing biography of the English artist Dora Carrington, who called herself simply "Carrington". A talented painter, living a bohemian life, Carrington was torn by conflicts as an artist and a woman. A mystery to those who knew her, she achieved notoriety by killing herself after the death of noted writer Lytton Strachey, the man she was hopelessly in love with. Her work is now represented in major collections worldwide.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This absorbing biography of Dora Carrington, the Bloomsbury artist who lived with the noted writer Lytton Strachey, is the basis for the movie starring Emma Thompson. It is a fascinating portrait of a highly individualistic woman and her many remarkable friendships, illustrated with numerous photographs and sketches.

From Publishers Weekly

Gerzina's biography--the first to consider Carrington at length--is an engrossing and well-researched account of the British painter and her era. Carrington was 17 in 1910 when she left her home in provincial Bedford to study in London and, a few years later, she began a longstanding association with the Bloomsbury group. Though seemingly a free spirit, she was fundamentally asexual, making seductive overtures to men yet refusing to make love with them; she clung to these platonic relationships throughout her short life. In her 30s, she engaged in two lesbian love affairs but committed herself emotionally to homosexual Lytton Strachey, living with him from 1916 onward. When the author died of cancer in 1932, she committed suicide. Gerzina, who teaches at Skidmore College, offers a welcome addition to the burgeoning literature on the Bloomsburyans. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; First Edition edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039331328X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393313284
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, July 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Carrington: A Life (Paperback)

The book is very well written with lots of extracts from Carrington's diaries and letters. The book reads like a story though. And it is a very interesting and touching one. I also liked the organisation of the book expecially the index where you can find every piece of information that you forgot as you finish the book. I recommend this book to anyone who likes art and stories about power of love.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good biography, October 30, 2008

By 

moviefanatic - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Carrington: A Life (Paperback)

I read the whole book , so it had to be good. Full of interesting people, a bit of art history and technique, unrequited love here there and everywhere, the lightest blue eyes that made one think of a witch's eyes, famous friends, poetical plot, adventures, illustrations, pictures, written very well, question oneself after reading it, regarding her death, and visit by the Wolf. Try it, you'll like it.