Belles-lettres (Press, 26 April 1958)

The review discusses "Principles and Persuasions: The Literary Essays of Anthony West," published by Eyre and Spottiswoode, comprising a collection of the author's literary reviews from the "New Yorker" since 1951. A significant portion of the essays focuses on biographical subjects, including notable figures such as Abraham Lincoln, George Bernard Shaw, and Sir Winston Churchill, who are all enduring topics of literary interest. However, West offers particularly critical views on famous authors such as George Eliot and Charles Dickens, whom he critiques for their personal lives, particularly their marital inconstancy. He argues that a writer's moral integrity is essential for producing good literature, leading him to dismiss Eliot's contributions as a creative artist or serious thinker. The reviewer disputes West's harsh judgement, asserting that the intrinsic value of Eliot's work remains unaffected by her personal life choices, suggesting that his approach conflates separate areas of judgment. West similarly critiques Hugh Walpole in light of Rupert Hart-Davis's biography, focusing on Walpole’s alleged homosexual conduct, which he believes tarnishes Walpole’s standing as a writer. This thematic inclination continues with West's evaluation of Dr Reinhold Niebuhr’s “The Irony of American History,” which the reviewer deems inadequately assessed, indicating that West's understanding of Niebuhr’s arguments is flawed. Other contemporary novelists featured in West's essays include Francois Mauriac, Graham Greene, Ralph Ellison, Ivy Compton-Burnett, and John Dos Passos, with the latter being critiqued for irrelevant content in his biography of Thomas Jefferson. The review highlights a particularly sharp essay titled “Lord Cardigan,” which critiques Mrs Cecil Woodham-Smith’s portrayal of Lord Cardigan in connection to the Charge of the Light Brigade, characterized as a scathing piece of writing. Although the book features moments of humour and a polished reviewing style, the reviewer concludes that West's literary judgement is fundamentally lacking, making many of his opinions disputable. Additionally, the review notes changes at the Stratford-on-Avon theatre, where a new, larger programme design has been introduced to reduce stage reflection, and a Gothic 'S' has replaced the Shakespearean coat of arms, accompanied by new notes from Ivor Brown on the plays presented.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand