The Power of Delight: A Lifetime In Literature: Essays 1962-2002

by John Bayley, Leo Carey (Editor)

A survey of the range of the Oxford University professor's distinguished literary career features his treatments of classics, lesser-known works of merit, and modern writings, in a volume divided into such sections as "English Literature," "Russian Novels," and "American Poetry."

Genres: Essays, Criticism, Literature, Literary Criticism, Nonfiction

677 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2005

About the author

Professor John Bayley CBE, FBA, FRSL was a British literary critic and writer.

Bayley was born in Lahore, British India, and educated at Eton, where he studied under G. W. Lyttelton, who also taught Aldous Huxley, J.B.S. Haldane, George Orwell and Cyril Connolly. After leaving Eton, he went on to take a degree at New College, Oxford. From 1974 to 1992, Bayley was Warton Professor of English at Oxford. He is also a novelist and writes literary criticism for several newspapers. He edited Henry James' The Wings of the Dove and a two-volume selection of James' short stories.

From 1956 until her death in 1999, he was married to the writer Dame Iris Murdoch. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, he wrote the book Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch, which was made into the 2001 film Iris by Richard Eyre. In this film, Bayley was portrayed in his early years by Hugh Bonneville, and in his later years by Jim Broadbent, who won an Oscar for the performance. After Murdoch's death he married Audi Villers, a family friend. He was awarded the CBE in 1999.

Reviews

[Eric Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bayley on Pushkin is delightful. I especially like how he discerns heralds of the revolution in the novel brought about by Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in Pushkin's restive parodies and experiments within the prose fiction conventions of the early 19th century. Bayley's essays on Schulz, Gombrowicz, Herbert and Milosz also do a lot to fan my curiosity about Polish literature.

[Sasha]

Obviously I enjoy a book about books; also this dude married Iris Murdoch.

[James Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book in which it is pleasant to dip into from time to time. To read the essays either as a spur to further reading or to provide background for one's current reading makes this book valuable. It is even more valuable for both the erudition of the author and the breadth of literary authors and topics covered within the almost seven hundred pages included in the hefty tome. I enjoyed both the essays about authors with whom I was familiar and those that introduced me to authors I have not yet read. The wealth of material is only surpassed by the delightful prose. It is fun to read the essays of John Bayley.

[Paul Doody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of essays on some of the greatest writers in history. Bayley brings his wide-ranging knowledge of many languages to bear on British, American, Russian and other writers. No matter how much you've read, you will find many delights here.