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Andrew Lycett

Auteur van Ian Fleming

10+ Werken 716 Leden 17 Besprekingen

Over de Auteur

Andrew Lycett received a history degree from Oxford University before becoming a journalist at the Sunday Times where he served as a foreign correspondent in Africa and the Middle East. He continues to be a regular contributor to the Times and a wide range of newspapers and magazines. His previous toon meer acclaimed biographies include lives of Muammar Qadaffi, Ian Fleming, and Rudyard Kipling. He lives in London. toon minder
Fotografie: Author photo: Susan Greenhill

Werken van Andrew Lycett

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I'm a huge Wilkie Collins fan, so perhaps I'd prefer a hagiography. I felt like this work was rather colorless, given the humor and talent possessed by its subject. I got the feeling the writer did not appreciate Collins position as an innovator in mystery and thought of him as more of a second fiddle to Dickens. He gave pages to his later works and their shortcomings, but really failed to communicate just what a ruckus woman in white and moonstone caused when they came out. He was pleased to have some detail about the two household Collins maintained, but really just engaged in a lot of speculation about them. That may be all that is possible, but it failed to satisfy me… (meer)
 
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cspiwak | 1 andere bespreking | Mar 6, 2024 |
The Worlds of Sherlock Holmes by Andrew Lycett examines the character from the perspective of his times, which of course was Doyle's times as well.

To put it in terms similar to Lycett's, this looks at how Holmes is a reflection of that period, but a reflection specifically through the eyes (pen?) of Doyle. That isn't to say that Holmes is a stand-in for Doyle, but that there is simply no singular perspective on any period of history, so understanding the person through which we are given our glimpse is essential. This isn't, however, a biography of Doyle but rather focuses on the major strands of thought and belief of the time.

This is an excellent companion for someone working their way through the stories and would be ideal for someone considering revisiting them. In fact, this has made me want to reread some of them. It also sheds some interesting light on TV and film representations. The reader can consider what liberties were taken to make the character more likely to be embraced by viewers at various times.

As a bit of an aside, I think this could be a useful read for a writer who is thinking about creating a character that would reflect our current times. How did Doyle create a character who could both embody much of the time yet also question, explicitly or implicitly, some of the ideals? This book doesn't necessarily answer that question, but it does offer some examples that a writer could apply to their own work.

I would definitely recommend this to those in the, as Lycett calls it, Sherlockian world. Even a casual reader (or viewer) of the Holmes stories will enjoy seeing how the character is a product of not just a fertile mind but of the time as well.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
… (meer)
 
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pomo58 | Nov 10, 2023 |
Definitely the most comprehensive biography of James Bond’s creator to date, but at times it’s overwhelmed by extraneous detail that makes a confusing read. It has a surprisingly downbeat tone as Lycett debunks some Fleming myths while making only passing reference to others that I would have like to have seen explored in more detail. However it does provide an often disturbing insight into Fleming as a “deeply complex, unhappy, self-consuming person” who turned his internal turmoil to birth perhaps the most gripping creation of high-adventure and high-living in popular fiction.… (meer)
 
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gothamajp | 6 andere besprekingen | Jun 6, 2020 |
A good read to understand the genius who created a contemporary icon and myth of intelligence; a reimagining of the English gentleman.
½
 
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JayLivernois | 6 andere besprekingen | Oct 11, 2016 |

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Werken
10
Ook door
3
Leden
716
Populariteit
#35,436
Waardering
4.0
Besprekingen
17
ISBNs
54
Talen
1

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