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The Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes
A personal selection of previously published anecdotes providing characteristic glimpses of literary men and women and their literary preoccupations and activities, drawn from over a thousand years of English literature
382 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1975
About the author
James Runcieman Sutherland
28 booksJames Runcieman Sutherland, English scholar and teacher: Senior Lecturer, University College London 1930-36; Professor of English Literature, Birkbeck College 1936-44; Editor, Review of English Studies 1940-47; Professor of English Language and Literature, Queen Mary College 1944-51; Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature, University College London 1951-67 (Emeritus); FBA 1953; Public Orator, London University 1957-62; Knighted 1992.
He will be remembered also by many thousands of people who have little academic interest in literature but who enjoy and keep returning to The Oxford Book of English Talk (1953) and The Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes (1975) which he compiled. Some other works include Defoe (1937), A Preface to Eighteenth Century Poetry (1948), Alexander Lectures in Toronto (On English Prose, 1957) and the Clark Lectures in Cambridge (English Satire, 1958), English Literature of the Later Seventeenth Century (1969), Daniel Defoe: a critical study (1971), The Restoration Newspaper and its Development (1986), and an attribution study on Swift (1992).
He will be remembered also by many thousands of people who have little academic interest in literature but who enjoy and keep returning to The Oxford Book of English Talk (1953) and The Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes (1975) which he compiled. Some other works include Defoe (1937), A Preface to Eighteenth Century Poetry (1948), Alexander Lectures in Toronto (On English Prose, 1957) and the Clark Lectures in Cambridge (English Satire, 1958), English Literature of the Later Seventeenth Century (1969), Daniel Defoe: a critical study (1971), The Restoration Newspaper and its Development (1986), and an attribution study on Swift (1992).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 14, 2023
Anglocentric (g)lit(t)erati gossip
Occasionally I chance on a book that I feel is just not my cup of tea: sometimes I will leave it be and cast it aside; other times I’ll pause it and pick it up sometime later and finish it; then there’s the third option, just grind through at a set rate and finish the damn thing.
So, this became boring strategy option 3, and my review reflects my dissatisfaction with possibly my approach to this book. However, I needed to conquer this book for a couple of reasons, not least for personal kudos, but also the fact than it was influenced by Dan Davin, an expat New Zealand author and UK publisher with the Oxford University Press who was one of the masterminds behind this project.
Overall, it’s an interesting concept-a collection of the great and the good and their various sayings-the witty and wise, the funny and mad, the good and the bad. Obviously, the irony and sarcasm wielded in the name of upholding the English language by writers and their circle of friends is celebrated but the way these “bon mots” are arranged left this reader oddly unimpressed.
Essentially, it’s a chronological collection organised by the year the writer was born, and is heavily skewed in favour of the patriarchy-it’s certainly an “Oxford collection” reflecting the author’s bias concentrating on mainland UK authors of the 18th and 19th centuries. This means it jumps all over the various literary cabals and feels quite disjointed.
The lack of notable 20th century writers left me feeling shortchanged-no Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, let alone the surreal Flann O’Brien. So, I feel this concept could be criticised for being an early example of data mining using hapless researchers in the long gone days before the internet existed.
However, it is what is says on the tin, and there are indeed a few gems, but overall the collection of 484 items over 449 pages contained little that was memorable. Failing the dross, the paragraphs that did resonate were both more explanatory and somehow better curated. These included HG Wells’ account early in his theatrical reviewer career of Henry James’ play “Guy Donville” and the superbly written account of the tragedy when Percy Bysshe Shelley died in a Mediterranean storm.
“A story may be credible when attended with circumstances, which seems false if detached.” P.131 art.150.
But perhaps, Frank Muir’s tongue in cheek assessment of this book to me seems apt as in the GR description😉
2.5 halfway 💥
Occasionally I chance on a book that I feel is just not my cup of tea: sometimes I will leave it be and cast it aside; other times I’ll pause it and pick it up sometime later and finish it; then there’s the third option, just grind through at a set rate and finish the damn thing.
So, this became boring strategy option 3, and my review reflects my dissatisfaction with possibly my approach to this book. However, I needed to conquer this book for a couple of reasons, not least for personal kudos, but also the fact than it was influenced by Dan Davin, an expat New Zealand author and UK publisher with the Oxford University Press who was one of the masterminds behind this project.
Overall, it’s an interesting concept-a collection of the great and the good and their various sayings-the witty and wise, the funny and mad, the good and the bad. Obviously, the irony and sarcasm wielded in the name of upholding the English language by writers and their circle of friends is celebrated but the way these “bon mots” are arranged left this reader oddly unimpressed.
Essentially, it’s a chronological collection organised by the year the writer was born, and is heavily skewed in favour of the patriarchy-it’s certainly an “Oxford collection” reflecting the author’s bias concentrating on mainland UK authors of the 18th and 19th centuries. This means it jumps all over the various literary cabals and feels quite disjointed.
The lack of notable 20th century writers left me feeling shortchanged-no Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, let alone the surreal Flann O’Brien. So, I feel this concept could be criticised for being an early example of data mining using hapless researchers in the long gone days before the internet existed.
However, it is what is says on the tin, and there are indeed a few gems, but overall the collection of 484 items over 449 pages contained little that was memorable. Failing the dross, the paragraphs that did resonate were both more explanatory and somehow better curated. These included HG Wells’ account early in his theatrical reviewer career of Henry James’ play “Guy Donville” and the superbly written account of the tragedy when Percy Bysshe Shelley died in a Mediterranean storm.
“A story may be credible when attended with circumstances, which seems false if detached.” P.131 art.150.
But perhaps, Frank Muir’s tongue in cheek assessment of this book to me seems apt as in the GR description😉
2.5 halfway 💥
July 11, 2017
Not all the anecdotes are equally interesting or entertaining, but the good ones are well worth the read. In fact, there's a great deal of fun in these pages (if not downright delight) as we learn little insider foibles of the famous men and women of great English literature. I adored the peeks into history, culture, and society of these earlier times, as well as admiring the astonishing prowess with language that nearly all the writers display--and these being the friends and neighbors of the literati, not the authors themselves (in most cases). Our high-tech society lacks the dexterity of the pen found in these pages, which is, in itself, a great reason to read this book. If you majored in English literature, as I did, you'll take double delight in the insider peeks into a much-admired or even beloved writer of the past.
February 2, 2009
Fantastic series of anecdotes upon anecdotes, especially heavy on the 18th and 19th century...each about a page or two long. Transports you to the gentlemanly world of sublte slights, eccentricities we would consider mild (but more genuine) by today's standards, and the birth of the genius as a personality type. Have your servant order some porter from the local dining club while you dodge your creditors and enjoy this book. I have, several times now. If you're like me, which I'm sure you're not, you will stop reading this when the anecdotes move into the 20th century. A glimpse into the most interesting moments (anecdotes are just encapsulated, interesting moments) of a different universe- which is why books of anecdotes are the best history books in the world. Historical anecdotes 4 life fool!!
February 4, 2014
I wondered if I could enjoy a book less and still complete it; but then, I probably have read books I enjoyed less, and they were not all class assignments, although some of those come to mind.
I became acutely aware of a problem with the word "anecdotes". It does not necessarily mean humorous moments, but only moments. I do not think I smiled at anything in the first third of the book, and although there were more humorous bits later I never found any of them especially funny. That may in part be because they are almost entirely British authors (the one American was noted as having moved to England because he preferred his idea of English society better than his reality of American), but I usually do enjoy good British humor. These would be better understood as "snippets", snapshots of the lives of a very large number of authors from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
That becomes something of a problem, too. There are really two kinds of anecdotes, the one those moments that truly capture an aspect of who a person really is, the other those moments which seem entirely out of character. To understand which is intended in any given instance, you either have to find something in the context which expresses that or you have to know something about the author already. For most of the authors represented, there was only one anecdote included, and thus no basis to create a picture of who this person was.
That was the next problem. There were of course authors I had read, but I would not say with certainty that the majority of those listed were even within the category of authors whose names I knew. Additionally, a few of my favorite British authors--Lewis Carroll, Agatha Christie, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, J. R. R. Tolkien--were omitted. Granted that four of these are clearly twentieth century writers and most of the book was about nineteenth century and earlier (but not so far back as Chaucer), still the first publication was 1975 when at least most of these had died, at least one included author was marked as still living, and at least two were born in the twentieth century. It cannot be that there are no interesting anecdotes about them--I know at least one interesting anecdote about each.
I learned some from the book. For one thing, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of writers who were regarded at least modestly successful in the nineteenth century. It gives some perspective on the fact that there was no more accessible entertainment than books and newspapers and the population was becoming increasingly literate. There were also some anecdotes that showed that even famous authors were not always successful and not necessarily respected--one reported that his father was completely dumbfounded that he should be paid for not doing any work, and his mother ignored his published book as not worth examining. At least some of the frustrations we modern writers face have been around for centuries now.
Usually I expect I will read a book again. I cannot say that will not happen with this one (I have been wrong on that count before), but I can say that I will be surprised if I do.
I became acutely aware of a problem with the word "anecdotes". It does not necessarily mean humorous moments, but only moments. I do not think I smiled at anything in the first third of the book, and although there were more humorous bits later I never found any of them especially funny. That may in part be because they are almost entirely British authors (the one American was noted as having moved to England because he preferred his idea of English society better than his reality of American), but I usually do enjoy good British humor. These would be better understood as "snippets", snapshots of the lives of a very large number of authors from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
That becomes something of a problem, too. There are really two kinds of anecdotes, the one those moments that truly capture an aspect of who a person really is, the other those moments which seem entirely out of character. To understand which is intended in any given instance, you either have to find something in the context which expresses that or you have to know something about the author already. For most of the authors represented, there was only one anecdote included, and thus no basis to create a picture of who this person was.
That was the next problem. There were of course authors I had read, but I would not say with certainty that the majority of those listed were even within the category of authors whose names I knew. Additionally, a few of my favorite British authors--Lewis Carroll, Agatha Christie, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, J. R. R. Tolkien--were omitted. Granted that four of these are clearly twentieth century writers and most of the book was about nineteenth century and earlier (but not so far back as Chaucer), still the first publication was 1975 when at least most of these had died, at least one included author was marked as still living, and at least two were born in the twentieth century. It cannot be that there are no interesting anecdotes about them--I know at least one interesting anecdote about each.
I learned some from the book. For one thing, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of writers who were regarded at least modestly successful in the nineteenth century. It gives some perspective on the fact that there was no more accessible entertainment than books and newspapers and the population was becoming increasingly literate. There were also some anecdotes that showed that even famous authors were not always successful and not necessarily respected--one reported that his father was completely dumbfounded that he should be paid for not doing any work, and his mother ignored his published book as not worth examining. At least some of the frustrations we modern writers face have been around for centuries now.
Usually I expect I will read a book again. I cannot say that will not happen with this one (I have been wrong on that count before), but I can say that I will be surprised if I do.
May 10, 2019
I generally don’t read in bed, but I like to keep a book on the nightstand for those nights when I make an exception. This was perfect for that purpose. I could read one anecdote, three or four, or several, then turn out the light, sometimes bored, but more often amused and occasionally inspired.
In general, I found the anecdotes about authors I’d read, or at least heard of, more interesting. But there were exceptions. One of the most hilarious tales (#135) involves a Samuel Foote. Never heard of him, but the payoff evoked a belly laugh from me. Like many of my other favorites, it culminates in what used to be called the perfect squelch (does anyone say that anymore?). Perhaps it’s not surprising that many of these highly literate characters displayed their talent not only in long forms such as a novel but also in the tiniest of gems, the bon mot. Supreme among them seems to have been Oscar Wilde, who by all accounts managed to combine mordant wit with unfailing politeness. It seems incredible to me that one could do both, but this trait is multiply-attested.
It didn’t surprise me that there were several Henry James sightings. He seems to have been uniquely queer (in the old sense of the word) even in the literary world. I loved G. K. Chesterton’s attempt to capture James’s approximation of conversation: “gracefully groping; that is, not so much groping in the dark in blindness as groping in the light in bewilderment, through seeing too many avenues and obstacles” (#389).
Some of the best anecdotes collected here stand out not so much for their humor as for the insight into the character of a given author, for instance, the way Charlotte Brontë long hid her identity and how it became revealed to her publisher.
One of the most inspirational tales to me — given that I always feel there are so many books that I haven’t read yet should — appeared early in the anthology. It was the reply Thomas Hobbes gave to a visitor who was surprised to see so few books in his room: “he was wont to say that if he had read as much as other men he should have known no more than other men” (#33).
Nevertheless, on to the next book.
In general, I found the anecdotes about authors I’d read, or at least heard of, more interesting. But there were exceptions. One of the most hilarious tales (#135) involves a Samuel Foote. Never heard of him, but the payoff evoked a belly laugh from me. Like many of my other favorites, it culminates in what used to be called the perfect squelch (does anyone say that anymore?). Perhaps it’s not surprising that many of these highly literate characters displayed their talent not only in long forms such as a novel but also in the tiniest of gems, the bon mot. Supreme among them seems to have been Oscar Wilde, who by all accounts managed to combine mordant wit with unfailing politeness. It seems incredible to me that one could do both, but this trait is multiply-attested.
It didn’t surprise me that there were several Henry James sightings. He seems to have been uniquely queer (in the old sense of the word) even in the literary world. I loved G. K. Chesterton’s attempt to capture James’s approximation of conversation: “gracefully groping; that is, not so much groping in the dark in blindness as groping in the light in bewilderment, through seeing too many avenues and obstacles” (#389).
Some of the best anecdotes collected here stand out not so much for their humor as for the insight into the character of a given author, for instance, the way Charlotte Brontë long hid her identity and how it became revealed to her publisher.
One of the most inspirational tales to me — given that I always feel there are so many books that I haven’t read yet should — appeared early in the anthology. It was the reply Thomas Hobbes gave to a visitor who was surprised to see so few books in his room: “he was wont to say that if he had read as much as other men he should have known no more than other men” (#33).
Nevertheless, on to the next book.
Want to Read
April 11, 2015I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13283266
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December 5, 2025
I got this book at one of those little libraries in front of a house. I would read it before bed. Light but interesting, good to read in bits and pieces as I did.
January 22, 2020
Recommended in Slightly Foxed Quarterly No. 64 Winter 2019
February 7, 2008
If you enjoy English literature, you'll find this book a worthy read. Some of the most insightful, humorous and witty accounts are revealed here about many of my favorite authors. It's a wonderful glimpse into the personality of these literary greats that add an essential dimension to understanding their works. Brilliant!
December 13, 2016
No, I haven't read or heard of all the authors included, but this is an entertaining book to pick up and flip through when I want to read something but don't want to have to concentrate and follow an argument.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews