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Breaking Hearts
Dr Helena Twiscombe is a middle-aged, fat, alcoholic university professor. Her niece, Sissy, comes from Australia to visit. These are the only verifiable facts in the novel. The main body of the book is the supposed writings of one of Dr Twiscombe's `grateful' students, where the `student' (female) appears to have seduced Dr Twiscombe's niece, caused another inadequate teacher to commit suicide and generally wreaked emotional havoc amongst students and staff at the university. However, it becomes clear that these `writings' and the `student' are the product of Dr Twiscombe's imagination as she slides into a nervous breakdown and eventually commits suicide
84 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
5 people want to read
About the author
Simon Gray
136 books12 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Simon James Holliday Gray, CBE (21 October 1936 – 7 August 2008) was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a university lecturer in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London, for 20 years. While teaching at Queen Mary, Gray began his writing career as a novelist in 1963 and, during the next 45 years, in addition to 5 published novels, wrote 40 original stage plays, screenplays, and screen adaptations of his own and others' works for stage, film, and television and became well known for the self-deprecating wit characteristic of several volumes of memoirs or diaries
Simon James Holliday Gray, CBE (21 October 1936 – 7 August 2008) was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a university lecturer in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London, for 20 years. While teaching at Queen Mary, Gray began his writing career as a novelist in 1963 and, during the next 45 years, in addition to 5 published novels, wrote 40 original stage plays, screenplays, and screen adaptations of his own and others' works for stage, film, and television and became well known for the self-deprecating wit characteristic of several volumes of memoirs or diaries
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November 18, 2015
Simon Gray is mostly known these days for his marvelously vitriolic memoirs and the constantly-revived 'Butley', a play about a self-destructive, alcoholic academic. There's certainly a Butleyesque feel of rumbling tragedy in 'Breaking Hearts', one of five novels published throughout Gray's career.
The novella is not without problems: it's confusing and frequently mean-spirited. Gray was adept at satirising the excesses of academia and capable of writing an eloquent sex scene, but there's something lacking in the tragic arc, a little too much dwelling in the house of ambiguity.
It's a shame, because parts of 'Breaking Hearts' show Gray at his very best - there is some dazzling writing, some of the blackest comedy this side of Joe Orton, and frequent evidence of the playwright's skill at condensed characterisation.
It's a quick read (and a good one), but it never quite reaches the heights of his best memoirs and plays: which, to be fair, is a big ask. There's still material here which will remind the reader that the world is a less interesting place without Gray's uniquely dour worldview. RIP.
The novella is not without problems: it's confusing and frequently mean-spirited. Gray was adept at satirising the excesses of academia and capable of writing an eloquent sex scene, but there's something lacking in the tragic arc, a little too much dwelling in the house of ambiguity.
It's a shame, because parts of 'Breaking Hearts' show Gray at his very best - there is some dazzling writing, some of the blackest comedy this side of Joe Orton, and frequent evidence of the playwright's skill at condensed characterisation.
It's a quick read (and a good one), but it never quite reaches the heights of his best memoirs and plays: which, to be fair, is a big ask. There's still material here which will remind the reader that the world is a less interesting place without Gray's uniquely dour worldview. RIP.
Displaying 1 of 1 review