The Memoirs of John Addington Symonds: A Critical Edition

by Amber K. Regis (Editor)

This edition is the first to reproduce John Addington Symonds's Memoirs in its entirety. It offers a panoramic view of middle-class Victorian life, shedding light upon sexual cultures and life histories too often hidden from history. Symonds (1840-93) began writing his Memoirs in 1889. It was, he confessed, 'a foolish thing to do.' Symonds was a respected man of letters, an historian, translator, essayist and poet; he was also married with children. But rather than unfold a simple tale of public and private achievement, the Memoirs record his struggle to reconcile his homosexuality with these professional and familial identities. His autobiography offers a confessional account of relationships beyond the accepted bounds of nineteenth-century social mores, presenting an alternative case study that contests the legal and medical authorities that would label his desires a crime or disease. Yet being so eloquent on matters of heterodox sexuality, the Memoirs were suppressed. The manuscript survives because Symonds recognised its import, however 'foolish': he instructed his literary executor to preserve the text, a duty ultimately discharged by placing the manuscript under embargo in the care of the London Library.

587 pages, Hardcover

Published February 11, 2017

Reviews

[Roisin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not entirely sure what initially drew me to John and his life. The story of this manuscript being buried in the depths of the London Library for 120 years was part of it, the novelty of getting to read something that people across history have unsuccessfully sought to eradicate was another draw.

Despite having read his moving (and hard to find) poem The Song of the Swimmer, I was not prepared for the generosity, fearlessness and beauty that would be in his writing. I was often moved to tears (in a cool way).

Within this book of profundity, John litters gut wrenching moralistic and self deprecating descriptions of his grapplings with “l'amour de l'impossible” (love of the impossible). However, you can feel him attempting to reach beyond the violent social constrictions of the 19th century. Sometimes, even taking aim directly at these conventions in place of giving into the narrative of his own ‘degeneration’ and the only available verbiage of ‘disgust, disgrace, and vituperation’.

I am conflicted because while this is such a vital celebration of queer survival, with John himself being one of the first in the English language to directly give voice to homosexual desire and moreover, the manuscript miraculously surviving a tumultuous life of its own; I can’t help but feel a deep sense of mourning for all the other lives and stories lost to history due to people not having the same privileges that John and his writing was afforded.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me nearly ten months to read this book, but it should not have. Blame all the reading I had to do for school, or some other reason. 

I first discovered J.A. Symonds when writing a paper about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as an allegory for being gay. I stumbled upon a quote of his which described me in a way that was very similiar to how Mr Hyde was described. This, of course, made me think that Symonds was among those men who thought that homosexuality was justly illegal. I discovered a little later that he was personal friends with Robert Louis Stevenson which leant more strength to my argument.  Then I discovered the original essay with the quote of his (*A Problem in Greek Ethics*) in the appendices of Alan Dale's *A Marriage Below Zero*, a queer novel written contemporary to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. And that led me to his *Memoirs*, which became a foundational piece in my essay. 

I was pretty freaking proud of the research hole I fell down, okay? 

I should have probably just taken what I needed from the Memoirs and left it. But Symonds prose was beautiful and evocative, and reading a first hand account of a queer man living in Victorian times was deeply intriguing to me. I found some of his writings in the *Sexual Heretics* anthology, which is a collection of writing from queer men during the time period. 


This is one of the most beautifully written memoirs I have ever read. Symonds prose is graceful and beautiful, evocative, heartbreaking.  I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book in my university library, since it looks like it sells new at over $60, but I hope some day to add it to my personal collection. I would highly, *highly* recommend this book for anyone interested in a first-hand account of being homosexual in Victorian England, while also enjoying beautiful prose.  

[Derek Henderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Symonds comes across as an insufferable prig.