Tricia's Reviews > Byron: A Life in Ten Letters

“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.