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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful & Inspirational,
By
This review is from: Dorothy L. Sayers: A Biography (Hardcover)
James Brabazon's unprecedented look into the hidden life of Dorothy L. Sayers is an incredible glimpse of a woman who worked hard to keep her public and private lives separate. Written primarily as a response to other biographies, which drew conclusions from the apparent surface details of Sayers' life, Brabazon presents - with the blessing and support of Sayers' son, Anthony - evidence from unpublished manuscripts and other source material to which other authors have lacked access. What emerges is a compelling and well-supported history of one of England's, if not the world's, finest writing minds of the Twentieth Century.Tracking Sayers' life from her early years at Oxford, to her formative years in rural England, then back to Oxford for University, Brabazon weaves the thread that these influences, good and bad, had on young Miss Sayers. Then the war came, and Brabazon demonstrates how that - and the subsequent loss of eligible bachelors - had a profound effect on the course of Sayers' life, the outcome of which seems to be that Sayers created her ideal man in the form of Lord Peter Wimsey. Sayers did, Brabazon reveals, have at least three great love affairs, two of which ended unsatisfactorily - the second resulting in the birth of her son - the third ending in marriage. Due to help from Sayers' letters, her family and friends, Brabazon is able to chart the course of Sayers' public copy- and novel-writing career and her private family life. This ability for Sayers to keep things separate - and for her biographer to recombine them - continues through her years as a theological writer and playwright, and up to the end of her life. There are a few problems with the biography, however. Because the book was written as a defense against poorly researched biographies, the author seems to present the unknown side of Sayers at the expense of details that other biographers had written and gotten right. The consequent lack of context can be frustrating when detail is provided without first establishing its background. For instance, a great deal is made of Sayers work in establishing sound doctrinal texts for the Anglican church; however, Brabazon doesn't go into what was going on within the church to prompt Sayers to take such action. Also, Brabazon pays Sayers several compliments on the work she did on her translation of Dante's epic poetry, but fails to actual cite any of it. Finally, and this is a minor nit, the chapters are numbered, but not titled; an adequate index is provided - and the book is written chronologically - but having titled chapters ("Oxford Years," "The Great War," etc.) would make it easier to backtrack to significant moments in Sayers' life. Despite some minor flaws, this really is an amazing look into Dorothy L. Sayers' life. The portrait that emerges of a woman succeeding on her own terms, while remaining faithful to what she felt was a higher calling, serves to inspire Brabazon's readers to pursue similar ambitions. If all you know of Sayers' work is her Wimsey novels (a deficiency I admit to), you're missing at least half what made her such an amazing writer. For me, this biography revealed not only details of Sayers' life that were unexpected, but also a body of work that I'm eagerly anticipating reading in the months and years to come.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pieces of a Life,
By
This review is from: Dorothy L. Sayers: A Biography (Hardcover)
Dorothy L. Sayers is best known for her wholly original sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and the eleven detective novels he features in. While this leagacy is certainly something to be proud of, and something that has stood the test of time since the 1920s, there is so much more to know about Sayers, as a writer and a person, than can be discovered by reading the Wimsey series. James Brabazon's biography, originally published in 1981, was the first authorized biography of Sayers, written partially in response to unauthorized biographies that relied on rumor and inaccuracies. It is a thorough look at Sayer's life and work and what could have been.Brabazon begins with a brief sketch of Dorothy's childhood, spent in both Oxford and the desolate fen countryside, before her return to Oxford as a student. From the outset, he paints her as a particular and unique individual, an intelligent, lonely child who found her best friends through reading and imagining. She thrived during her years at Oxford, finding a kinship with intelligent women that lasted throughout her lifetime. Her post-Oxford years were a time of struggle, as WWI waged on, offering uncertain job opportunities and taking away many of the eligible men of Dorothy's generation. She worked as a teacher, copywriter, and editor before finding fame with her Peter Wimsey mysteries, writing she never considered her "serious" work but a way to make money to support her other interests (of which there were many). Brabazon, while often praising and defending Sayers, doesn't hesitate to point our her difficulties and her faults. Many, even her closest friends, didn't know until after her death that she had a son born out of wedlock. She was argumentative and could sometimes become irrational when passionate about a cause. She threw herself into all of her interests - theatre and play writing, church affairs, and defending the Christian faith - wholeheartedly, sometimes to her detriment. What Sayers considered her "serious" writing were her works about faith, most notably "The Mind of the Maker," - a work on par with the writings of C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton. Dorothy L. Sayers was a fiercely proud woman who managed to keep her public and personal lives separate, but perhaps at a cost to herself, for there were certain experiences she missed out on which surely would have enriched her writings. Brabazon presents a telling portrait of one of the most unique minds of the twentieth century whose work continues to transcend time. At times he pushes himself too much into the narrative and one might wish for more contextual background for subjects readers may not be too familiar with. Still, as a starting point for fans of Dorothy L. Sayers, this biography is a worthwhile read. I would certainly hope that more has been written about her since 1981 that could shed even more light on this enigmatic figure.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Uninspiring,
By
This review is from: Dorothy L. Sayers: A Biography (Hardcover)
I picked up this book because I love the Lord Peter mysteries and wanted to learn more about their creator. While I did enjoy learning more about the life of Dorothy Sayers, the biography itself was a bit of a disappointment. This book suffered from the fact that it was written in reaction to other biographies. Dorothy Sayers was a very private woman when it came to her personal life, so after her death, several biographies were written that contained either partial or incorrect information about her life. This biography was a response, and is the first biography to be written with the blessing of the family and with access to Ms. Sayers' private papers. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, the book gives the impression of trying to prove itself. It takes a defensive tone rather than just telling a story. I also reacted against the author's tendency to poke his head into the narrative in order to point out his own opinions. James Brabazon had actually met Dorothy Sayers. He was inspired to become an actor after hearing her speak about drama and theater. I can understand wanting to point this out, but after a while his commentary began to feel like interruptions - as if I was reading a badly written Victorian novel, with constant addresses of "Dear Reader." This book wasn't terrible. It just wasn't inspiring. I came to it wanting to be inspired to read Dorothy Sayers' post-Wimsey books. When I finished the book, I was still interested, but almost in spite of the biography. The chapter about what was going on in her life during the writing of the Lord Peter books was by far the most interesting. The second half of the book was rather a chore to plough through. Surely there's been a better biography of Dorothy Sayers written since 1981.
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