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Sidetracks : Explorations of a Romantic Biographer

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Until I came across this book, I had loved everything I'd read by Richard Holmes, from the biography of Shelley to Footsteps, which is a genuinely great book. I think that everyone should go out and read the latter, since it one of the strangest and loveliest works I have ever come across; no one I've recommended it to has ever found is less than wonderful.

Sidetracks, unfortunately, has nothing in particular to recommend it. It does not appear to have been carefully edited for quality or consistently; it is just a grab bag of articles and pieces from across Holmes's career, with an introduction much less illuminating about the art of biography than any of dozens of passages in Footsteps.

Other than the wonderful article on Chatterton (unsurprisingly, the longest thing in the book), I don't think a single one of the pieces here reaches the quality of his best work. They are either too short to achieve any sort of memorable density, with conclusions that come off as unsupported by evidence - or are just not very inspired. It's clear that Holmes doesn't care nearly as much about, say, Maturin, as he did about Stevenson or Nerval (both featured in Footsteps); and his article on Maturin, unsurprisingly, ends up being little more interesting than an encyclopedia entry.

Obviously, there is nothing here that is downright bad, but also very few pieces that deserve to be bound in a book, especially at this price. Only get this, if you must, after you've read everything else by this great writer.

Richard Holmes has collected many of published and unpublished essays from the past, added new introductions and created Explorations of a Romantic Biographer (as per sub-title of his book, Sidetracks). The journey encompasses many centuries and many delightful figures of the literary past, from John Boswell to F. Scott Fitzgerald, from Lord Lisle to M. R. James (in a wonderful section on Gothic shadows). The two best chapters concentrate on the death (and life) of Thomas Chatterton and the life (and death) of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. This book will be enjoyable for those who are not familiar with all the discussed writers' work (such as myself) as the writing is so clear and beautiful and the personalities examined so fascinating. This book examines biography writing as an art form and thoroughly proves its case. A charming read.

When Sir Charles Oman finished his magnficent seven volume history of the Peninsular War, he had enough unused material on Wellington's Army to fill a separate history nearly 400 pages long. The DVD version of any popular movie is expected to contain extra features such as deleted scenes and a director's commentary. So with 2001's fascinating "Sidetracks" by romantic biographer Richard Holmes.

Holmes, successful and enthusiastic biographer of the poet Samuel Coleridge, offers up a collection of literary sidetracks, back alleys, and interesting stories uncovered in the course of his researches. The collection includes some short articles, radio plays, and sketches of other literary figures such as Thomas Chatterton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Boswell. The well-written pieces illuminate both the subject in question and Holmes' personal fascination with the art of biography.

One highlight is the story of "Melmoth", a long forgotten but horrifc Gothic novel by the great-uncle of Oscar Wilde, one Reverend Charles Maturin, in which a man who has made a Faustian bargain with the devil roams the world in search of another, more miserable person who will take his place.

Another highlight is the story of British Feminist Mary Wollstonecroft and philosopher William Godwin, two opposites who somehow forged a loving marriage out of their differences. When Wollstonecroft died young, Godwin took it upon himself to write her biography, and, in spite of their philosopical differences, to defend to posterity her feminist beliefs.

A third highlight is a sketch of the strange life of Scrope Davies, a close friend of the poet Lord Byron, who abandoned a mysterious trunk in the vault of a London bank containing original writings by both Shelley and Byron. Davies, said to be a witty influence on Byron, fled England to avoid his debts and never reclaimed the trunk.

Holmes' enthusiasm for his subjects and the art of biography is quite contagious. It is hard not to be swept along with the author as he explores some obscure corner of the literary world. That said, this book will be a challenge to read for those without at least some background in English Literature. The longer narrative arc of the book will likely be lost on those who do not share at least some of Holmes' fascination with the processes and challenges of biography.

This book is highly recommended to those who are already fans of Richard Holmes or who are likely to fascinated by some of the leavings of literary biographical work.