Stephen McKenna (1) (1888–1967)
Auteur van Sonia: Between Two Worlds
Voor andere auteurs genaamd Stephen McKenna, zie de verduidelijkingspagina.
Over de Auteur
Fotografie: Cut down scan of back cover of Penguin No.703. Attributed to 'Bassano'.
Reeksen
Werken van Stephen McKenna
Ninety-six hours' leave 2 exemplaren
Soliloquy 1 exemplaar
Den hemliga segern 1 exemplaar
Vindication;: A novel, 1 exemplaar
Magic Quest 1 exemplaar
To-morrow and to-morrow; a novel 1 exemplaar
Pearl Wedding 1 exemplaar
Gerelateerde werken
Rosemary — Medewerker — 1 exemplaar
Tagged
Algemene kennis
- Geboortedatum
- 1888-02-27
- Overlijdensdatum
- 1967-09-26
- Geslacht
- male
- Nationaliteit
- UK
- Geboorteplaats
- Beckenham, Kent, England, UK
- Opleiding
- Westminster School, London
Oxford University (Christ Church) - Beroepen
- Civil servant
Leden
Besprekingen
Lijsten
Prijzen
Misschien vindt je deze ook leuk
Gerelateerde auteurs
Statistieken
- Werken
- 17
- Ook door
- 1
- Leden
- 51
- Populariteit
- #311,767
- Waardering
- 4.2
- Besprekingen
- 2
- ISBNs
- 29
Barbara's reputation has proceeded her to London with great attention to the upper reaches of society during the years before the First World War. Barbara first gains noteriety by being in a plane crash (surviving) because she persuaded the pilot to take her up. Next she is involved in an auto crash (chauffeur is killed) due to her persuading a friend to take the the car (chauffeur is bribed) without permission. The incident all but ruins her place in society but she bounces back by playing up to the drama and tragedy of the thing in the Illustrated Paper. Next she is present at a seance escorted by the same friend of the car crash, where one member of the group drops dead during a session with the Medium. Three strikes--but Barbara is not out!
She spurns all proposals of marriage opting to wait for the man who cares nothing for her (!)---a situation which looks impossible in the crowds of egible and smitten London bachelors. Eventually her hope turns up in the character of George Waring, a stiff, humorless, conservative barrister. Here is one fellow who not only doesn't care about her but goes to great lengths to avoid her. She sets out, successfully, to catch him through various subtrifuges. He eventually pursues her--which brings Barbara to a personal crisis of identity. Just who and what is she? The personalities of both Barbara and George are scrutinized and eventually pegged by readers as war looms and the two main characters struggle to connect. The ending is far from satisfactory but then this is the first installment in McKenna's trilogy, The Sensationalists).
Although McKenna has fallen out of favor with most readers today, his depiction of the life of innocent frivolity in London-before-the Great War, has considerable charm. Whether intentional or not, McKenna's subtexts in this novel call out to 21st century readers e.g. Barbara's loss of a female sibling=wildness, anorexia, and self-loathing; Barbara's relationship with her father=conquering a suitor who initially cares nothing for her, etc. all told with wide-eyed innocence.… (meer)