Ivy when young: The early life of I. Compton-Burnett, 1884-1919

by Hilary Spurling

'It is a real cause for celebration when the best and most subtle literary biography of our time comes back into print, and in a single volume instead of the original two. What Hilary Spurling does, in a beautifully-written book, is to relate the life [of Ivy Compton-Burnett] intimately to the work and show in fascinating details, and with wonderful perception, how her subject's characters mirror aspects of her own nature. The book sends one back to read or re-read the novels - unfashionable, toweringly original tragic-comedies - the most individual novels, it may be, of our time.' The Good Book Guide'Atrue classic of the genre.' The Times'A biographical triumph ... Hilary Spurling's portrait - elegant, stylist, witty, tender, immensely acute -dazzles and exhilarates.' Literary Review

319 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1983

About the author

Hilary Spurling, CBE, FRSL (born 1940) is an English writer, known as a journalist and biographer. She won the Whitbread Prize for the second volume of her biography of Henri Matisse in January 2006. Burying The Bones: Pearl Buck in China was published in March 2010.

She is married to playwright John Spurling, and has three children (Amy, Nathaniel and Gilbert) and two grandchildren.

Reviews

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly workmanlike resume of the early life of ICB, and an even more thorough investigation of all her family, direct and by marriage. Maybe too much of the previous generations? And quite a lot about ICB's brother's friends too. Spurling's style is the antithesis of Claire Tomalin's - Austen, Hardy, Dickens et al - Tomalin's work is full of 'he would probably have', and 'she may have seen' and speculations of that ilk. I don't know which approach is better, really - this book was a little dry in places and I don't have a feel for the character of ICB at all, yet. Maybe the follow-up volume will provide more insight.