T. S. Eliot: A Short Biography

John Worthen's "short biography" of T.S. Eliot is shorter than most biographies, but that does not mean that it is an ideal biography for the general reader who is looking for an introduction to the man and his poetry. On the other hand, Worthen's biography can be recommended to the Eliot enthusiast who is looking for a deeper and broader understanding. Worthen is knowledgeable, he is fair, and he offers some valuable perspectives concerning Eliot and his work.Worthen's T.S. ELIOT is particularly notable for the attention given to Eliot's marriage to his first wife Vivien, how she contributed to his poetry (especially "The Waste Land"), and how the troubles with their marriage and their eventual separation affected his life and personality as well as his poetry. I have read a lot about Eliot over the years and Worthen emphasizes Vivien far more than anyone else I have read, and, except for some minor details, his account concerning her is convincing.As regards Eliot's most famous poetry, Worthen has little to say about "Prufrock"; he is quite helpful as regards "The Waste Land"; he offers some rather novel yet plausible comments concerning "Ash-Wednesday"; and his discussion of "Four Quartets" is neither in depth nor, for me, insightful. He gives the plays and Eliot's literary and cultural criticism rather short shrift, although his concise overall critique of the plays is, I think, sound.Worthen does a good job debunking Eliot's supposed homosexuality (whether actual or latent), a theory that has been somewhat in vogue over the last quarter century. ("He may have been attracted to men when young; he may even have found when he got married that he was not entirely heterosexual, though I suspect that exactly the opposite was the case: that he discovered just how startlingly heterosexual he was. But evidence for his homosexuality does not exist, whereas evidence for his being a troubled heterosexual exists in quantity.") Worthen also discusses, I think sensibly, the extent to which Eliot expressed anti-Semitic sentiments. He also shows, time and again, that a recent book by Caroline Seymour-Jones ("Painted Shadow: A Life of Vivienne Eliot") is irresponsible, sensationalist trash.For those looking for a responsible introductory biography to Eliot, the best I know is by Peter Ackroyd. Worthen, however, adds depth to Ackroyd's account concerning certain aspects of Eliot's life and poetry.

This is a good, fairly short biography of T.S. Eliot, that is both well informed and well written.

An excellent biography. Quick read.

I did not realize what an S.O.B. he was. Had his wife committed; paid the bills with her money and left her there to die.Shows that brilliant geniuses can be pond scum

This provided a solid overview of Eliot with just the right amount of detail to shed light on his poetry and other works as well as his personal history and life struggles. This biography appeared to stick to the facts and (for the most part) speculation was identified as such. I wish more biographies like this were available that portray a life in satisfying depth without having to invest in a thousand pages of reading. Eliot's spiritual life was not explored by this author however. I am planninig to read Barry Spurr to make up for that deficit, as the other reviewer has advised. With his search for faith omitted, the only ultimate source of hope seems to rest on the success or failure of Eliot's marriages. Otherwise would recommend this for sure.

If you've read his biography of D. H. Lawrence, you're already aware that this author writesbooks that are very much worth reading, even if you've already read quite a lot on the subject.This "short biography", as he calls it, does not replace Lyndall Gordon's study of the poet,but it does clarify recent work published on Eliot in a most helpful way. The focus is onEliot's poetry in relation to his life, and the author makes particularly good points when it comesto Eliot's first marriage, his supposed homosexuality and anti-semitism, and his relationship withEmily Hale. If you want to understand Eliot's spirituality and religious practice, the definitivestudy is the one by Barry Spurr -- but this biography succeeds admirably when it comes to clarifyingcertain negative assumptions regarding Eliot and his work that deserve to be looked at more critically.

Great

Excellent book. Wonderful condition. Thank you very much