Bernard Shaw: His Life And Personality

by Hesketh Pearson

First published in 1942, Hesketh Pearson’s much lauded biography has been hailed as the standard work on George Bernard Shaw. Pearson was fortunate to have written it with the close cooperation of Shaw. Not only did Shaw check and correct all the facts, contribute and authenticate or reject anecdotes but he supplied what he referred to as ‘unique private history’ unavailable to others. The recorded conversations Shaw had with Pearson bring to life Shaw’s vivacity, charisma and prominence. All aspects of Shaw’s life are explored including his politics, personal life, letters, writings, contribution to English theatre and the famous personalities of his time.

Genres: Biography

458 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Edward Hesketh Gibbons Pearson was an English actor, theatre director and writer. He is known mainly for his biographies; they made him the leading British biographer of his time, in terms of commercial success.

Reviews

[Henry Sturcke · Rating 2 out of 5]

. . . In which Hesketh Pearson sets out to play Boswell to Shaw’s Johnson. The heft of the book reminds one of a standard “life and times” treatment, but the subtitle, Life and Personality, reveals that it is not. Instead, the style is more that of the “new” biography practiced in the first half of the twentieth century, although other examples of that genre are usually shorter.
The personality referred to in the subtitle sets the tone for the book. Shaw’s personality was his greatest work of art and flows into the most successful characters in his many plays. Pearson is clearly under the influence of that personality and is afflicted (unfortunately) by a love of Shavian paradox. For example: “No really intelligent person could possibly have taken an exception to a syllable in it [a war-time pamphlet of Shaw’s, Common Sense]; which must be why nearly everyone took violent exception to every syllable of it.”
In sum, this book both profits and suffers from the author’s close acquaintance with its subject. Much of it consists of anecdotes told by Shaw. Even parts not set off by quotation marks sound as if dictated by him.
This book caught my eye more than a half-century ago in the bookstore of one of the colleges I, a high school senior, had applied to. I bought it, made a couple of fitful starts, and have packed it with my other books and moved it several times. This year I decided to give it one last chance. It doesn’t take the place of a standard biography, even less the place of the best of Shaw’s plays (and prefaces) or music criticism. The abiding value of the book is in its character of “Bernard Shaw as I knew him.”

[Yrinsyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book, very well written by the master of biography. Hesketh Pearson met Shaw on a number of occasions (Pearson was an actor before becoming a biographer) and writes about his experiences in a very engaging way. The picture of Shaw is so expertly drawn that you feel you have known the man. In his lifetime, Shaw met some very interesting people - William Morris, HG Wells, Stalin, Lady Astor, and many many others. Shaw had a very long life and lived through massive social upheaval. Those who are interested in social change might like to read this work. As as well as the serious side, this work has many laugh out loud moments. Overall - a fantastic read! I was sorry to return this book to the library.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in a stupor of exhaustion breastfeeding my baby every hour nearly for the first three months of his life so this is probably an unreliable review.
I remember his eating habits astonishing his peers and his humour at the pomp and circumstance of some of the events he attended.
I found the opening quote to stay with me since,

“Whether it be that I was born mad, or a little too sane, my kingdom was not of this world: I was at home only in the realm of my imagination, and at ease only with the mighty dead." —George Bernard...

[Astralabe]

Interesting in that Pearson allowed Shaw to have unprecedented control over the material. There are extended passages written by Shaw himself, and he, in effect, was the editor of the work. We'll see if this approach works.

[Julian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hesketh comes across as a Daily Telegraph reader might come across by putting onus on Bernard's character & personality rather than his political or philosophical stance.
Still a good read. Especially enjoyed the anecdotes about Bernard's accidents etc..