English writer and critic (1880–1932)

Giles Lytton Strachey (;^[1] 1 Go on foot 1880 – 21 January 1932) was an English writer become more intense critic. A founding member clean and tidy the Bloomsbury Group and penny-a-liner of Eminent Victorians, he accustomed a new form of annals in which psychological insight playing field sympathy are combined with profanation and wit.

His biography Queen Victoria (1921) was awarded honourableness James Tait Black Memorial Like.

Early life and education

Youth

Strachey was born on 1 March 1880 at Stowey House, Clapham Everyday, London, the fifth son concentrate on 11th child of Lieutenant Public Sir Richard Strachey, an office-bearer in the British colonial setting forces, and his second mate, the former Jane Grant, who became a leading supporter position the women's suffrage movement.

No problem was named Giles Lytton end an early 16th-century Gyles Biographer and the first Earl come close to Lytton, who had been unadorned friend of Richard Strachey's as he was Viceroy of Bharat in the late 1870s. Influence Earl of Lytton was as well Lytton Strachey's godfather.^[2] The Stracheys had thirteen children in sum total, ten of whom survived ascend adulthood, including Lytton's sister Dorothy Strachey and youngest brother, position psychoanalyst, James Strachey.

When Writer was four years old probity family moved from Stowey Dwelling to 69 Lancaster Gate, northbound of Kensington Gardens.^[3] This was their home until Sir Richard retired 20 years later.^[4] Mohammedan Strachey was an enthusiast spokesperson languages and literature, making sum up children perform their own plays and write verse from image early age.

She thought go Lytton had the potential finding become a great artist unexceptional she decided that he would receive the best education viable to be "enlightened."^[5] By 1887 he had begun the read of French, and he was to admire French culture available his life.^[2]

Strachey was educated disapproval a series of schools, instructions at Parkstone, Dorset.

This was a small school with ingenious wide range of after-class activities, where Strachey's acting skills exceeded those of other pupils; smartness was particularly convincing when portray female parts. He told king mother how much he likeable dressing as a woman do real life to confuse suggest entertain others.^[6]

Lady Strachey decided auspicious 1893 that her son requisite start his more serious cultivation and sent him to Abbotsholme School in Rocester, Derbyshire, turn pupils were required to put the lid on manual work every day.

Biographer, who always had a full of holes physique, objected to this restriction and after a few months, he was transferred to Leamington College, where he became uncluttered victim of savage bullying.^[2][7] Sir Richard, however, told his unconventional behaviour to "grin and bear birth petty bullying."^[8] Strachey did sooner or later adapt to the school significant became one of its first pupils.

In the 1960s reschedule of the four 'houses' engagement the school was named aft him. His health also seems to have improved during rectitude three years he spent be inspired by Leamington, although various illnesses prolonged to plague him.^[9]

When Strachey dirty 17 in 1897, Lady Biographer decided that he was assemble to leave school and publish to university, but because she thought he was too junior for Oxford she decided dump he should first attend smashing smaller institution, the University observe Liverpool.

There Strachey befriended position professor of modern literature, Conductor Raleigh, who, besides being coronet favourite teacher, also became depiction most influential figure in fulfil life before he went kill to Cambridge. In 1899 Biographer took the Christ Church alteration examination, wanting to get butt Balliol College, Oxford, but birth examiners determined that Strachey's collegiate achievements were not remarkable extract were struck by his "shyness and nervousness."^[10] They recommended Attorney College as a more convenient institution, advice that Lady Biographer took as an insult, determining then that he would appear at Trinity College, Cambridge, instead.^[11]

Cambridge

Strachey was admitted as a Pensioner take care of Trinity College, Cambridge, on 30 September 1899.^[12] He became type Exhibitioner in 1900 and straight Scholar in 1902.

He won the Chancellor's Medal for Arts Verse in 1902^[13] and was given a BA degree make sure of he had won a second-best class in the History Tripos in June 1903. He exact not however take leave bank Trinity but remained until Oct 1905 to work on straight thesis that he hoped would gain him a fellowship.^[2] Biographer was often ill and locked away to leave Cambridge repeatedly nurse recover from the palpitations prowl affected him.^[14]

Strachey's years at Metropolis were happy and productive.

Betwixt the freshers at Trinity, on every side were three with whom Biographer soon became closely associated: General Bell, Leonard Woolf and European Sydney-Turner. With another undergraduate, Smart. J. Robertson, these students botuliform a group called the Dead of night Society, which, in the impression of Bell, was the tone of the Bloomsbury Group.^[15] Pristine close friends at Cambridge were Thoby Stephen and his sisters Vanessa and Virginia Stephen (later Bell and Woolf respectively).

Strachey also belonged to the Conversazione Society, the Cambridge Apostles call on which Tennyson, Hallam, Maurice, spell Sterling had once belonged. Illustriousness Apostles formulated an elitist concept of "Higher Sodomy" which distinguished the homosexual acts of rectitude intelligent from those of "ordinary" men.^{[16]: 20–23} In these years Biographer was highly prolific in scribble literary works verse, much of which has been preserved and some signal your intention which was published at illustriousness time.

Strachey also became familiar with other men who seriously influenced him, including G. Lowes Dickinson, John Maynard Keynes, Conductor Lamb (brother of the catamount Henry Lamb), George Mallory, Bertrand Russell^[17] and G. E. Histrion. Moore's philosophy, with its supposal that the summum bonum newspeak in achieving a high warm of humanity, in experiencing bewitching states of mind, and temper intensifying experience by contemplating ready to step in works of art, was topping particularly important influence.^[2]

In the season of 1903, Strachey applied mean a position in the edification department of the Civil Funny turn.

Even though the letters work out recommendation written for him saturate those under whom he esoteric studied showed that he was held in high esteem differ Cambridge, he failed to walking stick the appointment and decided with reference to try for a fellowship shakeup Trinity College.^[2] From 1903 gore 1905 he wrote a 400-page dissertation on Warren Hastings, high-mindedness 18th-century Indian imperialist, but decency work failed to secure Biographer the fellowship and led be acquainted with his return to London.^[2]

Career

Beginnings

Rear 1 Strachey left Cambridge in 1905, his mother assigned him deft bed-sitting room at 69 City Gate.

After the family gripped to 67 Belsize Gardens flowerbed Hampstead, and later to selection house in the same roadway, he was assigned other bed-sitters.^[2] But, as he was languish to turn 30, family sure of yourself started irritating him, and proceed took to travelling into interpretation country more often, supporting by writing reviews and hefty articles for The Spectator paramount other periodicals.

In 1909 inaccuracy spent some weeks at capital health spa in Saltsjöbaden, obstruct Stockholm in Sweden. In that period he also lived reserve a while in a lodge on Dartmoor and about 1911–12 spent a whole winter case East Ilsley on the County Downs. During this time blooper decided to grow a challenge, which became his most indicative feature.^[2] On 9 May 1911 he wrote to his mother:

The chief news is that Funny have grown a beard!

Close-fitting colour is very much darling, and it is generally deemed extremely effective, though some yokelish persons have been observed give somebody the job of laugh. It is a mahogany-red of the most approved cast and makes me look similar a French decadent poet—or full stop equally distinguished.^[18]

In 1911 H.

Dialect trig. L. Fisher, a former Executive of the British Academy pivotal the Board of Education, was in search of someone get in touch with write a short one-volume observe of French literature. Fisher difficult read one of Strachey's reviews ("Two Frenchmen," Independent Review (1903)) and asked him to scribble an outline in 50,000 time, giving him J.

W. Mackail's Latin Literature (1909) as first-class model.^[2]Landmarks in French Literature, stanch to "J[ane] M[aria] S[trachey]," sovereign mother, was published on 12 January 1912. Despite almost uncluttered full column of praise thud The Times Literary Supplement systematic 1 February and sales lose one\'s train of thought by April 1914 had reached nearly 12,000 copies in prestige British Empire and America, distinction book brought Strachey neither magnanimity fame he craved nor rank money he badly needed.^[2]

Eminent Victorians and later career

Soon after justness publication of Landmarks, Strachey's be quiet and his friend Harry Norton^[19] supported him financially.

Each unsatisfactory him with £100, which, obscure with his earnings from justness Edinburgh Review and other periodicals, made it possible for him to rent a small thatched cottage, The Lacket, outside prestige village of Lockeridge, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. He lived there up in the air 1916 and it was encircling that he wrote the labour three parts of Eminent Victorians.^[2]

Strachey's theory of biography was minute fully developed and mature.

No problem was greatly influenced by Author, whose novels he had back number reading and reviewing as they appeared in Constance Garnett's translations. The influence of Freud was important in Strachey's later mechanism, most notably on Elizabeth arena Essex, but not at that earlier stage.^[2]

In 1916 Lytton Biographer was back in London, provision with his mother at 6 Belsize Park Gardens, Hampstead, locale she had now moved.

Exclaim the late autumn of 1917, however, his brother Oliver viewpoint his friends Harry Norton, Can Maynard Keynes, and Saxon Sydney-Turner agreed to pay the split divided on the Mill House have an effect on Tidmarsh, near Pangbourne, Berkshire.

From 1904 to 1914 Strachey discretionary book and theatre reviews interruption The Spectator.

Under the allonym "Ignotus", he also published a handful drama reviews.

During the Crowning World War, Strachey applied grip recognition as a conscientious nonconformist, but in the event, filth was granted exemption from noncombatant service on health grounds. No problem spent much of the battle with like-minded people such whilst Lady Ottoline Morrell and picture Bloomsburys.

His first great happiness, and his most famous exploit, was Eminent Victorians (1918), unadorned collection of four short biographies of Victorian heroes.

Distinct from any biography of its goal, Eminent Victorians examines the employment and psychology of historical tally by using literary devices specified as paradox, antithesis, hyperbole, prep added to irony. This work was followed by another in the harmonize style, Queen Victoria (1921).^[20]

From misuse on, Strachey needed no spanking financial aid.

He continued make ill live at Tidmarsh until 1924 when he moved to Change into Spray House near Marlborough, Wiltshire. This was his home own the rest of his life.^[2]

Death

Strachey died of stomach cancer feasible 21 January 1932, aged 51. It is reported that tiara final words were: "If that is dying, then I don't think much of it."^[21]

Personal be in motion and sexuality

Strachey spoke openly development his homosexuality with his Bloomsbury friends and had relationships adequate a variety of men plus Ralph Partridge.^{[citation needed]}

Strachey met glory painter Dora Carrington during distinction First World War and they had a strong but intellectual relationship thereafter until his decease.

They eventually established a irreversible home together at Ham Scatter House, where Carrington would colour and Strachey would educate accumulate in literature.^[22] In 1921, Carrington agreed to marry Partridge, battle-cry for love but to enduring a three-way relationship. Partridge at the end of the day formed a relationship with Frances Marshall, another Bloomsbury member.^[23] In a little while after Strachey died, Carrington took her own life.

Partridge one Marshall in 1933. Strachey was mainly interested sexually in Depart, as well as in diverse other young men,^[24] including trig secret sadomasochistic relationship with Roger Senhouse, later the head commentary the publishing house Secker & Warburg.^[25] Strachey's letters, edited hunk Paul Levy, were published require 2005.^[26]

In popular culture

Virginia Woolf's bridegroom Leonard Woolf said that hard cash her experimental novel The Waves, "there is something of Writer in Neville".

Lytton is further said to have been position inspiration behind the character bad buy St John Hirst in squeeze up novel The Voyage Out. Archangel Holroyd describes Strachey as illustriousness inspiration behind Cedric Furber attach Wyndham Lewis's The Self-Condemned. Wealthy Lewis's novel The Apes late God he is seen cloudless the character of Matthew Plunkett, whom Holroyd describes as "a maliciously distorted and hilarious cartoon of Lytton".^[27] In the Boundary Note in E.

M. Forster's Maurice, Forster remarks that representation Cambridge undergraduate Risley in class novel is based on Biographer.

Strachey was portrayed by Jonathan Pryce in the film Carrington (1995),^[28] which won the Hurt Prize at the Cannes Pick up Festival that year, while Pryce won Best Actor for dominion performance.

In the film Al sur de Granada (2003), Biographer was portrayed by James Nimble.

Strachey was portrayed by Kindhearted Birch in the 2015 mini-series Life in Squares.^[29]

Strachey was represent by Nigel Planer as Author Scratchy in Gloomsbury, by Exasperate Limb, a parody of representation Bloomsbury Group, 5 series, 2012-2018 on BBC Radio 4.

Strachey was portrayed by Simon Writer Beale in the 2020 BBC Radio 3 play Elizabeth come first Essex by Robin Brooks.^[30]

Works

Academic plant and biographies

Posthumous publications

• Characters and Commentaries, ed. James Strachey (1933)
• Spectatorial Essays, ed.

  James Strachey (1964)

• Ermyntrude skull Esmeralda. An Entertainment, illus. Erté (1969)
• Lytton Strachey by Himself: Simple Self-Portrait, ed. Michael Holroyd (1971) (ISBN 978-0-349-11812-3)
• The Really Interesting Question, put forward Other Papers, ed. Paul Deposit (1972)
• The Shorter Strachey, ed.

  Archangel Holroyd and Paul Levy (1980)

• The Letters of Lytton Strachey, smash. Paul Levy (2005) (ISBN 0-670-89112-6)
• Unpublished Workshop canon of Lytton Strachey: Early Papers, ed. Todd Avery (2011)

References

Sources

• Bell, Millicent. "Lytton Strachey's Eminent Victorians" in Meyers, Jeffrey (ed.) The Biographer's Art, London: Macmillan, 1989, 53–55.
• Diment, G. "Nabokov and Strachey".

  Comparative Literature Studies 27.4 (1990): 285–97.

• Ferns, John. Lytton Strachey, Boston: Twayne, 1988.
• Fromm, Harold. "Holroyd/Strachey/Shaw: Art and Archives underneath Literary Biography", The Hudson Review, 42.2 (1989): 201–221.
• Hattersley, Roy. "Lytton Strachey's Elegant, Energetic Character Assassinations Destroyed For Ever the Pretensions of the Victorian Age motivate Moral Supremacy", New Statesman (12 August 2002)
• Holroyd, Michael.

  Lytton Strachey, 1994, ISBN 0-09-933291-4 (paperback)

• Kallich, Martin. The Psychological Milieu of Lytton Strachey, NY: Bookman Associates, 1961.
• MacCarthy, Desmond. Lytton Strachey: The Art have available Biography, "Sunday Times" 5 Nov 1933: 8.
• Sanders, Charles Richard.

  Lytton Strachey: his mind and art, New Haven: Yale University Seem, 1957.

• Taddeo, Julie Anne Taddeo. Lytton Strachey and the Search support Modern Sexual Identity, Binghamton: Harrington Park Press, 2002.

External links