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Byron: A Life in Ten Letters
Lord Byron was the most celebrated of all the Romantic poets. Troubled, handsome, sexually fluid, disabled, and transgressive, he wrote his way to international fame – and scandal – before finding a kind of redemption in the Greek Revolution. He also left behind the vast trove of thrilling letters (to friends, relatives, lovers, and more) that form the core of this remarkable biography. Published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Byron's death, and adopting a fresh approach, it explores his life and work through some of his best, most resonant correspondence. Each chapter opens with Byron's own voice – as if we have opened a letter from the poet himself – followed by a vivid account of the emotions and experiences that missive touches. This gripping life traces the meteoric trajectory of a poet whose brilliance shook the world and whose legacy continues to shape art and culture to this day.
300 pages, Hardcover
Published February 22, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 9, 2023
Byron's autobiography was destroyed. In the exposition and analysis of the book, "Byron: A Life in Ten Letters", Andrew Stauffer has given us the next best thing. Through meticulous analysis and eminently readable prose Stauffer helps us unravel the mystery of who was Byron. Byron was a sensation, and with his legendary status and his faults published so wide, it's hard to get a clear picture of who he was and why he was such a sensation. This book however gives us a journey to that understanding. We feel the living Byron as he understood himself and his times.
December 14, 2023
In interested look into Byron's life. This collection creates a snap shot of Lord Byron's life. It really gives you a glimpse of him an a person rather that his larger than life persona.
I would recommend it to any history lover looking for a new perspective on Lord Byron's life.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.
I would recommend it to any history lover looking for a new perspective on Lord Byron's life.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.
June 16, 2024
I really knew next to nothing about the life of Byron or his poetry. This exceptional book based around 10 of his letters put that to rights. It takes us back to a time when the rich and powerful were able to swan around intervening in politics, fathering children out of wedlock and generally doing as they pleased. And then feeling sorry for oneself. Like Boris Johnson I hear you say! Well in a way but Byron probably pips him on talent, looks and even honesty. Still I have a feeling that on being obnoxious, selfish and self-centred it'd be a close run thing. However, you can't help having a soft spot for Byron, something I'll never be accused of in reference to Johnson. I love the way this book is structured, the poetry is fab and the story engaging. In some ways Byron was probably a precursor of rock stars scandalizing an adoring public. Kanye springs to mind.
July 14, 2024
“If thou regret thy youth—why live?” Thus can Lord Byron’s life be summed up by his own pen. This book has many themes including how to live one’s life (or not), and how a short-lived life of pleasure may not ultimately satisfy the soul’s longings for connection or bring the happiness that comes from giving of oneself to others. I read this biographical sketch concurrently with one on Teddy Roosevelt and contrasted Byron’s wayward lifestyle with that of Roosevelt who was born some 60 years later and who modeled more admirable values. Though Byron’s legacy of poetry is undeniably great, his was not the life well-lived, which can weigh on the reader of this book.
June 8, 2024
This is one of the most entertaining academic books I’ve ever read, though, in all fairness, most of the “academic” part here denotes the impressive amount of archival research that must have gone into piecing together the story this book tells, and the entertainment derives primarily from the facts of Lord Byron’s actual life. You couldn’t have written a dull version of that if you tried. Here’s a man of dazzling talent, wit, and the kind of sexual appetite that’s titillating from a distance but should land someone in prison if looked at up close, who wrote bestselling epics, scathing parodies, gossipy letters, gorgeous lines on love and heartache (and cannibalism) and growing old, who was born with all but a cloven hoof and enough inherited wealth to gallivant around Europe in a carriage modeled after that of Napoleon Bonaparte. Here’s the secondary cast: A beatific poet, atheist, abolitionist, vegetarian, and free love advocate nicknamed “the Snake” by his frenemy Biden. That poet’s wife, one of the most significant novelists in the western canon, who kept his silk-wrapped heart among her belongings after her husband—a passionate sailor who couldn’t swim—died in a storm. An Italian nobleman famous for having political rivals assassinated, a matriarch of London high society who spurs on all sorts of extramarital affairs though her letters, a frat-boy best friend, a whole string of male and female lovers, a couple of dogs and even more horses, peacocks cranes … A revolutionary war. Bacchanalian orgies in a ruined abbey during which wine is drunk from a monk’s skull. Poetry. Jealousy. How on earth has no one turned this into a Netflix series yet?
As the title indicates, each chapter of “Byron: A Life in 10 Letters” begins with a transcript of one of the thousands of letters Byron wrote during his lifetime, after which Stauffer—both erudite and an obvious admirer—provides context about the stage in Byron’s life during which the letters was written. This does an admirable job of making people 200 years dead feel intimately familiar, and it results in an honest-to-god page turner. At the same time, the book rarely goes beyond narrating Byron’s chronological biography, and there are instances where it comes perilously close to hero worship, in a manner that reminded me of some 1970s rock star biographies I’ve read. Yes, Byron’s life was riveting, gorgeously bizarre, and yes, his poetry is a triumph even two centuries later, but he was at the same time a deeply traumatized young man who too easily came into too much money and—be it in consequence or inevitably—turned into an elitist jerk, absentee father, a hedonist, domestic abuser and, in all likelihood, a serial rapist. Anyone disconcerted about the recent scandals embroiling people like Rammstein singer Till Lindemann shouldn’t touch Byron with a 10-foot pole. Stauffer’s book hints at these darker sides but tends to move on to them all too quickly, so that what remains in the end is a thrilling, detail-rich biography that revels in the splendor and absurdity but ultimately adds yet another golden coating to the monument of a man who, that much is sure, does not need any more gold.
As the title indicates, each chapter of “Byron: A Life in 10 Letters” begins with a transcript of one of the thousands of letters Byron wrote during his lifetime, after which Stauffer—both erudite and an obvious admirer—provides context about the stage in Byron’s life during which the letters was written. This does an admirable job of making people 200 years dead feel intimately familiar, and it results in an honest-to-god page turner. At the same time, the book rarely goes beyond narrating Byron’s chronological biography, and there are instances where it comes perilously close to hero worship, in a manner that reminded me of some 1970s rock star biographies I’ve read. Yes, Byron’s life was riveting, gorgeously bizarre, and yes, his poetry is a triumph even two centuries later, but he was at the same time a deeply traumatized young man who too easily came into too much money and—be it in consequence or inevitably—turned into an elitist jerk, absentee father, a hedonist, domestic abuser and, in all likelihood, a serial rapist. Anyone disconcerted about the recent scandals embroiling people like Rammstein singer Till Lindemann shouldn’t touch Byron with a 10-foot pole. Stauffer’s book hints at these darker sides but tends to move on to them all too quickly, so that what remains in the end is a thrilling, detail-rich biography that revels in the splendor and absurdity but ultimately adds yet another golden coating to the monument of a man who, that much is sure, does not need any more gold.
July 1, 2024
Byron wasn’t my bestie in high school; Shelley was. (Still a fan, all of these years later.) But I remembered just enough to be quite curious about his life; all of the feels of high school English class and the prospect of reliving some of it are what made me request this DRC. All of which to say, I came to it not as most other readers will: I barely remember Byron’s work, never studied him, and really didn’t know much about his life except for the barest glimmerings.
Well! Arriving halfway through the book, I put it down because I was so exasperated with what an entitled predator Byron was. I read other things. Happily, when I picked it up again, he was writing Lady Byron to beg her to come back; and who doesn’t love to see a woman crush her abuser by refusing to return? Things got so much better from there, because I no longer had to wonder why English culture reveres him; it was settled in my mind that Byron was a complicated human, as we all are, and clearly had some undiagnosed stuff… And from there I could treat him like some regular old dead artist with a fascinating biography.
Because Byron was nothing if not interesting; his weird childhood and very weird mother; his life as a rather poor and then later apparently really rich Lord; his escapades at school and at college (which he could drop out of and still graduate, because of course he could); his misadventures in Society, and then becoming a pariah (good!) and exile; the endless travel—Greece, Italy, Greece again (I rather wish he’d made it to South America); his friendships and yes, his doomed marriage, and—ugh—yes, all of the sexual things. A truly fascinating character who lived an incredible life.
So. I do understand the reverence. Lord Byron gave us the most romantic (and actually completely dysfunctional) Byronic figure of literature. He was also, by all accounts, a fairly nasty and narcissistic human being (particularly early on in his life)—while also managing, in the end, to do a lot of good in the world. Stauffer’s excellent book excavates his life and character through ten letters he wrote, by relating and explaining Byron’s circumstances at the time of writing, and trying to guess at his thoughts and motivations. It’s a very well done character study, the evidence of what must be very long hours of work in archives and a resulting intimate knowledge of Byron’s life. And because Byron was so interesting, Stauffer’s book cannot help but be the same. (Even if it’s still entirely possible that what sealed the deal for me was all of the notes on and goss about Byron, Shelley and Mary together.)
A fascinating read, and well worth the many hours I spent on it. Highly recommended, even if you are only a marginal Byron fan. Many thanks to Cambridge University Press and to NetGalley for access to an early digital review copy.
Well! Arriving halfway through the book, I put it down because I was so exasperated with what an entitled predator Byron was. I read other things. Happily, when I picked it up again, he was writing Lady Byron to beg her to come back; and who doesn’t love to see a woman crush her abuser by refusing to return? Things got so much better from there, because I no longer had to wonder why English culture reveres him; it was settled in my mind that Byron was a complicated human, as we all are, and clearly had some undiagnosed stuff… And from there I could treat him like some regular old dead artist with a fascinating biography.
Because Byron was nothing if not interesting; his weird childhood and very weird mother; his life as a rather poor and then later apparently really rich Lord; his escapades at school and at college (which he could drop out of and still graduate, because of course he could); his misadventures in Society, and then becoming a pariah (good!) and exile; the endless travel—Greece, Italy, Greece again (I rather wish he’d made it to South America); his friendships and yes, his doomed marriage, and—ugh—yes, all of the sexual things. A truly fascinating character who lived an incredible life.
So. I do understand the reverence. Lord Byron gave us the most romantic (and actually completely dysfunctional) Byronic figure of literature. He was also, by all accounts, a fairly nasty and narcissistic human being (particularly early on in his life)—while also managing, in the end, to do a lot of good in the world. Stauffer’s excellent book excavates his life and character through ten letters he wrote, by relating and explaining Byron’s circumstances at the time of writing, and trying to guess at his thoughts and motivations. It’s a very well done character study, the evidence of what must be very long hours of work in archives and a resulting intimate knowledge of Byron’s life. And because Byron was so interesting, Stauffer’s book cannot help but be the same. (Even if it’s still entirely possible that what sealed the deal for me was all of the notes on and goss about Byron, Shelley and Mary together.)
A fascinating read, and well worth the many hours I spent on it. Highly recommended, even if you are only a marginal Byron fan. Many thanks to Cambridge University Press and to NetGalley for access to an early digital review copy.
April 16, 2024
George, Lord Byron, is a classic example of the paradox in which a generally ghastly person can produce sublime art or literature – somewhat in the mode of Salvador Dali. This month marks the bicentenary of Lord Byron’s death, which was presumably behind the publication of this fascinating biography (which fortunately makes no attempt at hagiography, which would presumably be beyond even the literary skills of the subject himself).
I have to confess woeful ignorance of both the life and the works of Lord Byron, so I was rather surprised at just how outré his life was, encompassing rampant affairs with both sexes and a long-term incestuous relationship with his half-sister, with the constant accrual of staggering debts running on in the background. I had, of course, been aware of his Bohemian lifestyle, although not perhaps the extent of his licentiousness. Until reading this biography, I had not read much of his verse, although I have delighted in various cantos from Don Juan and Child Harold’s Pilgrimage by way of background reading while engaged with this book.
I was intrigued by Andrew Stauffer’s approach. Framing the biography through the device of ten letters works well, although it also flagged to me how poor a writer of prose Byron was. These letters do not speak in their style of a literary behemoth, but of a selfish, self-obsessed solipsist. Of course, the two things are not mutually exclusive, but no one would remember Byron for the scrawled offerings here, yet he seemed capable of dashing off a dazzling ode or a verse essay at the drop of a hat.
He was famously described by Lady Caroline Lamb, one of his more prominent long-term lovers, as ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’, and these letters suggest that he revelled in that reputation, and seemed eager always to push it even further.
I have to confess woeful ignorance of both the life and the works of Lord Byron, so I was rather surprised at just how outré his life was, encompassing rampant affairs with both sexes and a long-term incestuous relationship with his half-sister, with the constant accrual of staggering debts running on in the background. I had, of course, been aware of his Bohemian lifestyle, although not perhaps the extent of his licentiousness. Until reading this biography, I had not read much of his verse, although I have delighted in various cantos from Don Juan and Child Harold’s Pilgrimage by way of background reading while engaged with this book.
I was intrigued by Andrew Stauffer’s approach. Framing the biography through the device of ten letters works well, although it also flagged to me how poor a writer of prose Byron was. These letters do not speak in their style of a literary behemoth, but of a selfish, self-obsessed solipsist. Of course, the two things are not mutually exclusive, but no one would remember Byron for the scrawled offerings here, yet he seemed capable of dashing off a dazzling ode or a verse essay at the drop of a hat.
He was famously described by Lady Caroline Lamb, one of his more prominent long-term lovers, as ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’, and these letters suggest that he revelled in that reputation, and seemed eager always to push it even further.
April 11, 2024
This book was fascinating, surprising, and honestly… nauseating. I had recently read Don Juan for the first time, hoping to fill some gaps in my knowledge (what with it being the 200th anniversary of Byron’s death). After that I figured I’d go all in on the man himself—the basis of Byronic antiheroes, alluring vampires, celebrity culture, gorgeously doomed-and-damned bad boys with dark secrets (“maybe my love will save him”!), essentially my favorite characters from Heathcliff / Rochester types to Buffy’s boyfriends, Doctor House (complete with limp…). You know the type!
But “knowing the type” in pop culture and meeting the real-life inspiration for said type are two very different things. Byron the actual dude is pitiable and sympathetic—particularly as an abused child, obviously— but also an absolute d*ick to literally everyone unlucky enough to become entangled with him, especially women of every age, class, country, or background. Especially his illegitimate daughter Allegra. No seriously he’s a HORROR. Like I actually truly felt ill reading about him.
THAT SAID, the author did an incredible job sifting through apparently, 3,000+ letters to find these ten to encapsulate the contradictory, irascible, mischievous, sullen, clever, incredibly scandalous man who did literally set the tone for so much of our gothic, Romantic, celebrity obsessed modern age. It's staggering how many elements of taken-for-granted character types and tropes originated with this one real-life person when you dig down into it.
But “knowing the type” in pop culture and meeting the real-life inspiration for said type are two very different things. Byron the actual dude is pitiable and sympathetic—particularly as an abused child, obviously— but also an absolute d*ick to literally everyone unlucky enough to become entangled with him, especially women of every age, class, country, or background. Especially his illegitimate daughter Allegra. No seriously he’s a HORROR. Like I actually truly felt ill reading about him.
THAT SAID, the author did an incredible job sifting through apparently, 3,000+ letters to find these ten to encapsulate the contradictory, irascible, mischievous, sullen, clever, incredibly scandalous man who did literally set the tone for so much of our gothic, Romantic, celebrity obsessed modern age. It's staggering how many elements of taken-for-granted character types and tropes originated with this one real-life person when you dig down into it.
June 30, 2024
Writing about Lord Byron has been popular for the last 200 years. A wildly popular writer in his lifetime as well as one of the first “celebrity artists” in history, Byron’s life has been as popular as his works. This latest account uses ten letters that Byron wrote to provide a shortened account of the poet’s life. Numerous times while reading this, I exclaimed “What a piece of work this guy was!” If he were alive today, surely someone would put him on medication, because he comes across as wildly unstable and possibly bipolar. An enjoyable and entertaining read.
February 26, 2024
Superb introduction to Byron's life, well written, the choice of letters well judged. I very much enjoyed this.
April 12, 2024
Excellent read by a wonderful author for the 200th anniversary of Byron’s death.
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April 21, 2024Oh, Stauffer's thing is straight-forward to read through.
June 25, 2024
Stauffer is a notable Byron critic and the idea for organizing B's biography works well and makes a read that is not too long. (Better than one of those exhaustive--800 page--critical biographies.) Each chapter is prefaced with a real letter written by Bryon. Stauffer then fills in the context both historical and personal. Thus the poet's short life is captured at 10 major high points points. Sufficient, and a very good read. Quite enjoyed this and learned some stuff I didn’t know both about the poet’s life and poetry and that period of history. Lord Byron, in case you didn't know, is a charming but thoroughly disreputable character. All Wordsworth could say about him is: "the man is mad." Perhaps he was.
Here's what Mary Shelley had to say: "The Lord Byron I find there [i.e. in his letters] is our Lord Byron—the fascinating—faulty—childish—philosophical being—daring the world—docile to a private circle—impetuous and indolent—gloomy and yet more gay than any other."
Here's what Mary Shelley had to say: "The Lord Byron I find there [i.e. in his letters] is our Lord Byron—the fascinating—faulty—childish—philosophical being—daring the world—docile to a private circle—impetuous and indolent—gloomy and yet more gay than any other."
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews