The Hyacinth Girl

Name: The Hyacinth Girl
Brand: Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand
SKU: 9780349012094
Price: 29.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

T. S. Eliot's Hidden Muse

By Lyndall Gordon

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Summary

The Hyacinth Girl by Lyndall Gordon is a compelling exploration of the life of Emily Hale, the mysterious muse and friend of celebrated poet T.S. Eliot. This biography uncovers their intricate relationship, revealing how it influenced Eliot's work and personal life while shedding light on the hidden histories behind some of his most famous poems. It delves into themes of love, literary creation, and the complexity of human connections.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're interested in exploring the enigmatic life of T.S. Eliot through a fresh lens, shedding light on his complex relationship with Emily Hale. With its insightful exploration of love letters and personal connections, it's ideal for readers captivated by literary history and personal revelations in the realm of biography and memoir.

The Hyacinth Girl

The revealing of the hidden muse - Emily Hale - the Hyacinth Girl of the famous The Waste Land poem - who influenced the life and art of TS Eliot.

Description

The revealing of the hidden muse - Emily Hale - the Hyacinth Girl of the famous The Waste Land poem - who influenced the life and art of TS Eliot.

Among the greatest of poets, T.S. Eliot protected his privacy while publicly associated with three women: two wives, Vivienne and Valerie, and a church-going companion, Mary Trevelyan. This presentation concealed a life-long love for an American: Emily Hale, a drama teacher who was the source of 'memory and desire' in The Waste Land; she is the Hyacinth Girl.

Drawing on the recently unsealed 1,131 letters Eliot wrote to Hale and suppressed in his lifetime, leading biographer Lyndall Gordon reveals both the hidden poet and the muse who was the first and consistently important woman of his life and art. Emily Hale was at the centre of a love drama he conceived and the inspiration for the lines he wrote to last beyond their time.

'Extraordinary... a rare work' COLM TOIBIN

'As exciting as a detective story' MARGARET DRABBLE

'Will change the way Eliot is seen' MIRANDA SEYMOUR

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Lyndall Gordon's The Hyacinth Girl offers a deeply insightful examination of the relationship between T.S. Eliot and Emily Hale, illuminating their complex dynamics through meticulous research and empathetic storytelling. Critics commend Gordon's ability to weave Eliot's poetry into the narrative, revealing the profound impact of personal relationships on his work while shedding light on the often-overlooked women in his life. Through her fair-minded analysis, Gordon provides a fresh perspective on Eliot, highlighting both his literary genius and his personal failings in an engaging and illuminating manner.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349012094

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 August 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Virago Press Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 40.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 420g

Pages: 512

Collections

Biography & Memoir Lyndall Gordon Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies Non-Fiction

About the Author

Lyndall Gordon was born in Cape Town and studied American Literature at Columbia University in New York. She came to England through the Rhodes Trust in 1973.

She is the prize-winning author of biographies including The Imperfect Life of T. S. Eliot; Henry James: His Women and his Art; Charlotte Bronte: A Passionate Life; Virginia Woolf: A Writer's Life; Vindication: A Life of Mary Wollstonecraft; Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family Feuds and Outsiders: Five Women Writers Who Changed the World. There are also two memoirs, Shared Lives, A Story of Women's Friendship, and Divided Lives, about her mother, whose spiritual journey opened up Eliot's poetry for her. She has written the 'Life' for the Eliot website: tseliot.com.

Lyndall Gordon is a fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She lives in Oxford.