Doom (Definitive revised editions of the works of William Gerhardie) [Hardcover]

William Alexander Gerhardie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1974 | Series: Definitive revised editions of the works of William Gerhardie

First published under the title Jazz and Jasper in 1928, Doom was praised by Arnold Bennett for its 'wild and brilliant originality' and is remembered as William Gerhardie's wittiest and strangest novel. It is the story of Frank Dickin, an impoverished young novelist, and his involvement with an eccentric family of Russian emigres - in particular, their beautiful daughter Eva - and with an all-powerful newspaper magnate, Lord Ottercove (based on Gerhardie's friend Lord Beaverbrook), who takes Dickin on as a lost cause. This irrepressible comic mixture also involves a mad English lord who is bent on destroying the world - and, with an outrageous sleight of hand that only Gerhardie could manage, the novel slowly slips from social comedy toward apocalypse. 'A master of the ridiculous ... Doom seems like nothing else in the language.' Michael Holroyd 'I have talent, but he has genius.' Evelyn Waugh 'He is a comic writer of genius ... but his art is profoundly serious.' C. P. Snow

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

³A master of the ridiculous ... Doom seems like nothing else in the language.² -- Michael Holroyd

³I have talent, but he has genius.² -- Evelyn Waugh --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Despite its bleak title, Doom is William Gerhardie¹s most wildly funny novel. It is the story of Frank Dickin, an impoverished young novelist, and his involvement, on the one hand, with an eccentric family of Russian émigrés ‹ in particular, their beautiful daughter Eva ‹ and, on the other, with an all-powerful newspaper magnate, Lord Ottercove, who takes Dickin on as a lost cause. This irrepressible comic potpourri also involves a mad English lord who is bent on destroying the world ‹ and, with an outrageous sleight of hand that only Gerhardie could manage, the novel slowly slips from social comedy toward apocalypse. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 275 pages
• Publisher: Macdonald & Co (1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0356045943
• ISBN-13: 978-0356045948
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,394,172 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.