Rosamond Lehmann: A Life - Softcover

Hastings, Selina

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099730111 ISBN 13: 9780099730118

Publisher: Vintage, 2003

Synopsis

The life of Rosamond Lehmann was as romantic and harrowing as that of any of her fictional heroines. Her first novel, the shocking Dusty Answer, became wildly successful launching her career as a novelist and, just as her novels depicted the tempestuous lives of her heroines, Rosamond's personal life would be full of heartbreaking affairs and lost loves.

Escaping from a disastrous early marriage Rosamond moved right into the heart of Bloomsbury society with Wogan Philipps. Later on she would embark on the most important love affair of her life, with the poet Cecil Day Lewis; nine years later he abandoned her for a young actress - a betrayal from which she would never recover.

Selina Hastings masterfully creates a portrait of a woman whose dramatic life, work and relationships criss-crossed the cultural, literary and political landscape of England in the middle of the twentieth century.

About this title

Review:

"I can think of few biographies that are as unputdownable as a novel, but Selina Hastings has produced one: fluidly written, witty, detached yet utterly gripping-deeply touching: a triumph of the biographer's art" (Spectator)

"A funny and marvellously readable study of a woman who was incurably addicted to love" (Independent on Sunday)

"Finely textured, exceptionally perceptive and wonderfully readable-the best possible tribute; an understanding, clear-eyed portrait" (Sunday Telegraph)

"So intelligently written that you linger over the phrasing, her account blends wit, mischief, gossip, acuity and admiration... Shrewd, relaxed, understanding, stylish and not to be missed" (Sunday Times)

"Careful and sympathetic - striking a delicate balance between factual detail and evocative description" (Scotsman)

From the Publisher:

A triumph of the biographer’s art, this lively, perceptive and beautifully handled life, by the acclaimed author of Evelyn Waugh, is based on interviews and a large collection of personal letters belonging to Rosamond Lehmann, never seen before or published.

About this edition

• Publisher: Vintage
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0099730111
• ISBN 13: 9780099730118
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512