Customer Reviews

Unafraid of Virginia Woolf: The Friends and Enemies of Roy Campbell

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I'm a fan of Roy Campbell, and have long been dismayed by the fact that a poet of his talent is today largely forgotten and almost completely unread. I'm grateful, therefore, to Joseph Pearce for this truly excellent biography (which, unlike his work on Belloc, actually contains photos!)

But, with all respect and appreciation, I must mention some aspects that annoyed me. First, Mr. Pearce's prissy tut-tutting regarding Campbell's gloves-off attacks on his detractors (as well as his -- gasp! -- "reactionary" politics) is rather wearisome. Second, I was stunned to read [p. 161] "When, three years later, Hart Crane committed suicide by throwing himself off the very same [Brooklyn] bridge...." Come now, Mr. Pearce! Even the most elementary research would have informed you that Crane committed suicide by jumping from a ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, Mr. Pearce's "Postmortem" is a bit weak, as he doesn't offer his assessment of Campbell's reputation as a poet some 50 years after his death.

Well, I had to get that off my chest. None of the mentioned negatives, however, detract in any way from my hearty recommendation of this book.