John Bayley Livres

Approaching the tragedies as drama, wondering about their characters as he might have wondered about people in novels or in life, the author gives us a true sense of 'the tragedies joining up with life, with all our lives; leading us into a perspective of possibilities that stretch forward and back in time, and in our total awareness of things.

The greatest of Russian novelists believed that "whatever the artist depicts - saints, robbers, kings, or lackeys - we seek and see only the artist's own soul". The soul that shines through the work of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828-1910) is a vast and contradictory thing. It generates the narrative floodtides of War and Peace and Anna Karenina and short stories so intimate that we seem to inhabit their characters rather than just observe them. Tolstoy's soul is that of a consummate artist who despises artfulness and seeks to approximate the disorder of life, of a sensualist who aspires to sainthood, of an aristocrat who identifies fiercely with the small and humble.All the aspects of Tolstoy's work and character are on display in this masterful anthology. The Portable Tolstoy includes a complete short novel, The Kreutzer Sonata; passages from the author's fictional memoirs of his childhood, youth and military life; excerpts from The Cossacks; The short stories "The Wood-Felling,""Master and Man," and "How Much Land Does a Man Need?"; the play "The Power of Darkness"; selections from such philosophic, social and critical writings as "A Confession" and "What Is Art?"; and a chronology, bibliography and critical introduction by the renowned scholar John Bayley. The result is a splendid and authoritative volume of work by a writer whose moral vision, narrative powers, and stylistic range all but defy containment.

Focusing on Pushkin as a critic, this book explores his complex relationship with literature, showcasing his enthusiasm, judgments, and frustrations. It presents the complete set of his critical writings in English, covering his reflections on both his own work and influential European authors like Byron and Shakespeare. Organized chronologically, each section includes biographical insights that track Pushkin's literary evolution, offering a captivating look into his intellectual passions through letters, articles, and notes.

Following the loss of his wife, renowned author Iris Murdoch, retired professor John Bayley finds his life transformed. As he navigates his grief, he receives an overwhelming outpouring of sympathy from fans of both Murdoch's work and his own memoir, Elegy for Iris. However, the situation becomes complicated with numerous visits from well-meaning women, bringing food and unsolicited advice, all eager to support the grieving widower. This poignant narrative explores themes of loss, memory, and the unexpected challenges of moving forward.

« Ma charmante, mon inoubliable ! Tant que les creux de mes bras se souviendront de toi, tant que tu seras encore sur mon épaule et sur mes lèvres, je serai avec toi. Je mettrai toutes mes larmes dans quelque chose qui soit digne de toi, et qui reste. J'inscrirai ton souvenir dans des images tendres, tendres, tristes à vous fendre le cœur. Je resterai ici jusqu'à ce que ce soit fait. Et ensuite je partirai moi aussi. »

After more than three years suffering from Alzheimer's disease, the novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch died in January 1999. Earlier that month she was taken to a home for the terminally ill, and she remained radiant and calm for the last weeks of her life. The last year or so of Iris Murdoch's life provides the framework for this book, but within this structure, John Bayley returns repeatedly to memories of his own earlier life, and of more than 40 years of marriage to Iris. Alzheimer's is a lonely predicament for the carer, and Bayley describes how he coped with the ordeal of watching his wife become terminally ill by forming a growing dependency on memory as a stand-by, consolation and friend.

In this memoir, Bayley describes the life he has shared with his wife, Iris Murdoch, afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. He explains how he has coped emotionally and practically with the illness that has beset the woman he loves and cherishes.