Richard Davenport-Hines
Domestic Goddess
‘Was she a writer, then?’ a crematorium official asked after Elizabeth Taylor died. ‘Well, I expect the name helped a lot.’ As Nicola Beauman shows in this first biography, published thirty-four years after the novelist’s death, sharing a name with the much-married movie star was a hindrance in her lifetime, and continues to muddle her reputation.
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'Too many historians sneer at our forbears; scolding them if they follow the customs of their own day ... tut-tutting if the poor things are detected having a little fun.'
From the archive, Mary Clive on medieval travellers.
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'Reading Taylor’s book has also made me join a book club. I did not like the January book; I did enjoy drinking gin while saying why.'
@clamorousvoice explores the history of women readers.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/she-readers
'When the language starts functioning as a character in fiction, when it is there drawing attention to itself ... It’s not anything that anybody really takes seriously.'
Our interview with Anthony Burgess from 1983.
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