Authors | Guy Portman's Blog

6 Famous Reclusive Authors

Oct 31 2014

Writing is a solitary activity that appeals to many people with an introverted nature, myself included. Some authors take their introversion to the extreme and become recluses.

This week’s blog post is dedicated to 6 famous reclusive authors:

Emily Dickinson

(10th December 1830 – 15th May 1886)

Emily Dickinson was a prolific American poet, who penned over 1700 poems. However she had fewer than a dozen poems published during her lifetime, and it was only after her demise when younger sister Lavinia discovered her poetry that the world discovered her remarkable talents. Undoubtedly the primary reason for Dickinson’s lack of acclaim during her lifetime was her reclusive habits, which by the late 1860s’ entailed her rarely leaving the house, and speaking to visitors from the other side of her closed front door.

Thomas Pynchon

(Born: 8th May 1937)

Thomas Pynchon is an American fiction and non-fiction writer. His best known novels are The Crying of Lot 49 (1966) and Gravity’s Rainbow (1973). Gravity’s Rainbow won the 1974 U.S. National Book Award for Fiction. Pynchon is a notoriously private man, who refuses to give interviews and has rarely been photographed. The author did however allow his voice to be used for his two brief appearances in The Simpsons, in which he wears a paper bag over his head to hide his identity. His latest book, Bleeding Edge, was published in 2013.

Harper Lee

(Born: 28th April 1926)

The American novelist is best known for her one and only published book, the 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee is also recognized for having assisted her friend Truman Capote in writing his seminal work, In Cold Blood. Harper Lee’s reclusive behaviour has entailed refusing to give speeches, and all but disappearing from public life for four decades. The Monroeville, Alabama resident surprised many, when at the age of seventy-nine she did an interview for the New York Times.

Cormac McCarthy

(Born: 20th July 1933)

Cormac McCarthy is an American novelist, screenwriter and playwright who has written 10 novels. His accolades include winning the Pulitzer Prize for The Road (2006) and the U.S. National Book Awards for All the Pretty Horses (1992).

The New Mexico resident is a notorious recluse, who once failed to show for a banquet given in his honour. As McCarthy never gave interviews the public were not even aware what the author looked like. In 2007 the author made an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, in addition to showing up at the Academy Awards to see the film adaptation of his book, No Country For Old Men, win Best Picture. He has not been seen in public since.

J.D. Salinger

(1st January 1919 – 27th January 2010)

The reclusive J.D. Salinger was an American author, whose seminal work The Catcher in the Rye (1951) spent thirty weeks on the New York Bestseller List, and went on to sell over ten million copies worldwide. To this day the book continues to sell around a quarter of a million copies a year.

Two years after The Catcher in the Rye’s publication Salinger withdrew completely from public life. For the next half a century the author ignored journalists and fans alike, and from 1965 no longer offered his works for publication.

Marcel Proust

(10th July 1871 – 18th November 1922)

French novelist, essayist and critic Marcel Proust is widely considered to be one of the best authors of all time. His most famous work, À la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of Things Past), was published in seven parts between 1913 and 1927.

Proust was a society figure in his younger years, but following his father and mother’s death, and his own increasing poor health, he withdrew from public life and stayed at home. The last three years of his life were spent in his soundproofed room, sleeping during the day and working at night on his seminal work, À la recherche du temps perdu.

10 Authors Bizarre Writing Habits

Oct 17 2014

Authors writing habits never cease to fascinate me. This week’s blog post is dedicated to 10 famous authors bizarre writing habits.

Flannery O’Connor – Author and essayist Flannery O’Connor explained in The Habit of Being (collection of her letters) that she not only wrote at the same time every day, but also in the same place. That special place was facing her blank wood dresser, which provided no distractions. O’Connor only wrote for about two hours a day because as she suffered from lupus she had very little energy.

Demosthenes – This ancient Greek statesman had to constantly write speeches for his numerous public speaking appearances. When he felt unmotivated to do so he would shave one side of his head, the result being that as he was reluctant to leave the house until the hair grew back, he would spend the time writing.

Eudora Welty – This iconic author and Mississippi resident admitted in a letter to a friend, William Maxwell, that she had the peculiar habit of pinning her stories together in a long strip. The stories would get so long that she would have to stack them on beds and tables.

Maya Angelou – This African-American author had a very strict writing routine that entailed leaving her home at 7 a.m. and travelling to a bare hotel room, where she would write until about 2 p.m. The only possessions Angelou would bring with her were a pack of cards, a Bible and a bottle of sherry.

Victor Hugo – This French novelist wrote The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables in the nude. The reason being that it helped him avoid procrastination. Hugo, unable to leave the house unclothed, would order his valet to hide his clothes until after he had finished his writing.

Honoré de Balzac – This French novelist and playwright maintained a relentless writing routine. He would go to bed at 6 p.m. and rise at 1 a.m. before writing for seven hours. At 8 a.m. he would rest for ninety-minutes and then write until 4 p.m. De Balzac allegedly drunk 50 cups of coffee a day.

Dan Brown – Best selling contemporary author Dan Brown is an early riser, who apparently takes a break every hour from his writing to do calisthenics (stretches, sit-ups and pull-ups etc.). His bizarre writing antics do not end there. Brown, a fan of inversion therapy, often hangs upside down in antigravity boots because it helps him relax.

Truman Capote – Capote had a preference for writing lying down. While he wrote he would drink coffee and smoke cigarettes. As the day progressed he would drink mint tea, before moving on to sherry and martinis. Capote, who described himself as a ‘horizontal writer’, always wrote his first two drafts in longhand with a pencil.

Vladimir Nabokov – Nabokov had a fixation on index cards. The majority of his novels were written out on these cards with a pencil. The cards were then paper-clipped and kept in boxes. Nabokov’s rather particular writing routine did not end here. Most of his writing was done standing up.

Francine Prose – Blue Angel author Francine Prose confessed that she likes writing in her husband’s ‘red and black checked flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt.’ Prose usually writes at her desk, which faces a window, with a view consisting of a brick wall. Though the view may not be ascetically pleasing, Prose likes it because it is not distracting.

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5 Famous Bilingual Authors

Oct 10 2014

I never cease to be impressed by authors who write in more than one language. This week’s blog post is dedicated to 5 such authors.

Samuel Beckett

(13th April 1906 – 22nd December 1989)

Irish born avant-garde novelist, playwright and poet Samuel Beckett is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th Century. His accolades include having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969. Beckett was a skilled linguist, who studied English, French and Italian at Trinity College, Dublin, and went on to live most of his adult life in Paris.

After the War Beckett published mostly in French, including arguably his most famous work, En attendant Godot (1953). With the exception of Molloy, Beckett translated all of his works from French to English himself.

Joseph Conrad

(3rd December 1857 – 3rd August 1924)

Remembered as one of the greatest English language novelists of all time, the Polish born Conrad did not learn to speak English until he was in his twenties. Though Conrad never completed his schooling he was also well versed in German, Greek and Latin, in addition to speaking fluent French.

Conrad’s career in the merchant navy led to him moving to England, where he embarked on his writing career. In 1899 his seminal work Hearts of Darkness was published, a book that is regarded as one of the most important works of the 20th Century.

Vladimir Nabokov

(22nd April 1899 – 2nd July 1977)

The Saint Petersburg born Nabokov was brought up speaking French and English, in addition to his native Russian. Nabokov’s first nine novels were written in Russian, but it is his later English language efforts that he is best remembered for. His most famous work, Lolita, is considered to be one of the greatest and most controversial novels ever written. Lolita is one of Modern Library’s 100 best novels of the 20th Century. In 1967, twelve years after he had written Lolita, Nabokov translated it into Russian.

Click here to read my review of Lolita.

Jack Kerouac

(12th March 1922 – 21st October 1969)

American novelist and poet Jack Kerouac primarily wrote autobiographical novels in a spontaneous prose style. His most famous book, On the Road, set against a backdrop of poetry, jazz and drug use, was the defining work of the postwar Beat Generation.

It has only recently been discovered that the young Kerouac initially began writing in Quebecois French, the language he has been brought up speaking by his French-Canadian parents. Kerouac went on to write poetry in French, in addition to two novels, which remain unpublished.

Click on the links to read my reviews of On the Road and Maggie Cassidy.

Nancy Huston

(Born: 16th September 1953)

Canadian born essayist and novelist Nancy Huston is a prolific author, who has published over 45 books comprising both fiction and non-fiction. Huston, who writes primarily in French, translates her own works into English. Her most famous book to date, Les variations Goldberg (1981), won the Prix Contrepoint prize. Huston is also more than capable of writing in English. Her critically acclaimed novel Plainsong (1993) was initially written in English and then self-translated into French.

Please note that I am currently overseas, and have only limited internet access. As a result it may take me a while to reply to any comments.

My Book Reviews

Oct 03 2014

On Tuesday I redesigned the book review section of my website (see My Reviews tab). There are now 56 reviews covering a diverse range of books. Previously resident book blogger Adam also contributed reviews, but he has found a home of his own (details to follow).

This week’s post takes the form of a friend asking me questions about my book reviews, and me answering. Perhaps this will lead to you discovering new books that are of interest.

(Note: Click on the book links to read my review)

Q. You have written 57 book reviews since you started your blog in addition to your weekly blog posts. Why?

A. As a writer of novels I find it useful to review the books I have read, as it helps me to analyse other authors writing styles. Above all I like writing book reviews because I enjoy sharing my reading experiences with others.

Q. Where else do you share your reviews?

A. goodreads, google+ and Twitter.

Q. What is the latest book you have read and reviewed?

A. Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. It is a 600+ page true crime classic about the Manson murders – a fascinating, if at times heavy going read.

Q. I see you have reviewed 4 of John Steinbeck’s lesser-known works? Would you recommend any?

A. All of them, but particularly The Wayward Bus and the novella The Pearl.

Q. As you know I love non-Fiction, particularly history. Have you read any non-Fiction lately that you think I would enjoy?

A. King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild tells the brutal history of the Belgian Congo. It is a fascinating if disturbing book.

Q. Have you reviewed any Indie books?

A. Yes, a few, and I have a couple more on my to-read list. I particularly enjoyed Barry Braithwaite’s Last Life by A R Lowe. It is a heart-warming tale about an alcoholic, with a less than impressive front cover that belies what lies beneath.

Q. Do you have a favourite non-English language author?

A. Joseph Roth, the Austro-Hungarian Jewish author. He is only now 75 years after his death getting the attention he deserves in the English speaking world. I have reviewed his seminal work, The Radetzky March and his novella The Legend of the Holy Drinker. His writing has a nostalgic tone, which I appreciate.

(Click here to read my rather morbid blog post about Roth’s demise).

Q. Your second novel Necropolis is a satirical black comedy that could be labelled as Transgressive Fiction. Have you reviewed any Transgressive books?

A. Yes, I’ve reviewed many books that could be labelled as Trangressive, including 6 Chuck Palahniuk novels and 4 of Bret Easton Ellis’s works. Peruse my book reviews and you will discover many more.

(Click here to read my blog post about the Trangressive genre).

The 12 Most Influential Books Ever

Sep 26 2014

This week’s blog post is dedicated to 12 of the most influential books ever.

Relativity: The Special and the General Theory by Albert Einstein – First published in 1916, this three part book not only explains the theory of relativity, it also gives an insight into one of the greatest minds of the 20th Century.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu – Written around 500 B.C., The Art of War gives advice on how to win wars. The book has been embraced by a host of military strategists down the years, in addition to business leaders looking to vanquish their competitors.

The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine – Paine, a fervent supporter of the French Revolution, wrote The Rights of Man in 1791. This influential book argued revolution is permissible when a government does not protect the rights of its people.

Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau – Thoreau argued that governments generally do more harm than good, and that the government that governs least is the best. The book influenced many important leaders, including Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Leo Tolstoy.

The Origin Of Species by Charles Darwin – No work of scientific literature has been more influential than The Origin of Species. Its premise that evolution is a result of natural selection is still controversial to this day, over a hundred and fifty years after it was written.

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli – In this, one of the most influential books ever written about politics, Machiavelli argued that the end justifies the means. Evidence of The Prince’s influence is the fact that the term ‘Machiavellian’ has been incorporated into the English language.

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels – Published in 1848, The Communist Manifesto analysed the class struggle and argued against capitalism. Not only was it a founding document of Communism, it is regarded as one of the most important works of the 20th Century.

The Republic by Plato – Written by arguably the greatest philosopher to ever live, The Republic, Plato’s most important work, is concerned with the notion of justice. This iconic text, which has played an integral role in the development of Western culture, continues to influence philosophers to this day.

Mao’s Little Red Book by Mao Tse-tung – Mao’s Little Red Book consists of selected quotes from the founder of Communist China, Mao Tse-tung. It was required reading for the Chinese nation, and is considered to be one of the most printed books in history.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe – Published in 1852, Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an anti-slavery novel that changed the way many Americans living in the north perceived the practice of slavery. The book became a bestseller, and no doubt contributed to the ensuing Civil War.

Qu’ran by Mohammed – Muslims believe that the Qu’ran was verbally revealed to Mohammed through God, via the angel Gabriel. Its teachings quickly spread. Today Islam is the World’s second largest religion, with over a billion followers.

Bible by various authors – It is difficult to argue that any book has been more influential than the Bible. Written over a period of about 1,500 years, this two part book is responsible for spawning a religion that has over two billion adherents.

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7 Prolific Authors

Sep 12 2014

As an author I am intrigued by how much other authors write. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about the longest and shortest amount of time authors have taken to pen a novel. This week’s blog post is devoted to seven of the most prolific English language authors ever.

Enid Mary Blyton (1897-1968) – 800+ Books – This highly productive English writer wrote about subjects as diverse as natural history and the Bible, but she is best remembered for her children’s books, particularly The Famous Five and The Secret Seven. In the early 1950s’ Blyton was publishing more than 50 books a year – a remarkable feat, even if some could be argued to have questionable literary merit (Noddy).

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) – 468+ books - Russian born author and professor Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer of both science fiction and science of the non-fiction variety. After the invention of the word processor, Asimov estimated that he published on average 1,700 words a day. The iconic writer is perhaps best remembered for I, Robot, a collection of nine science fiction short stories about interactions between humans and robots.

Barbara Cartland (1901-2000) – 723 books – Not only was Cartland the most prolific writer of historical fiction ever, she also wrote health and cookery books, as well as plays. The British society figure’s prolific output was due in part to her long life. Cartland’s accolades include holding the Guinness World Record for the most novels published in a single year – 23.

Lauran Bosworth Paine – (1916-2001) – 1000 books (approx.) – This American born author’s prodigious writing output consisted largely of Westerns, as well romance, mystery, science fiction and numerous non-fiction titles. Paine had more pen names (70) than most authors have titles. Many of Paine’s books, which were published in the UK, never graced the shelves of bookshops in his native land.

John Creasey (1908-1973) – 600+ books – John Creasey was an English writer of science fiction, Westerns, romance, plays, short stories and books for children, who is best remembered today for his crime novels, many of which have been adapted for television. He used 28 different pseudonyms during his celebrated writing career. Creasey founded the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) in 1953.

Ursula Bloom (1892-1984) – 560 books - Bloom was an English romance novelist, who was published under numerous pseudonyms. She also wrote non-fiction books and radio plays. Bloom wrote her first book at the tender age of seven and never looked back. At one time the English author was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the British author with the greatest number of published full-length titles.

Kathleen Lindsay – (1903-1973) – 904 Books – Kathleen Lindsay was according to the 1986 version of the Guinness Book of Records, the most prolific novelist in history. Though this remarkable feat has since been surpassed, this prolific English romance author, who used eleven different pseudonyms, still has a place in the hearts of romance writers around the world.

10 Famous Banned Books

Sep 05 2014

I am devoting this week’s blog post to a subject that never ceases to fascinate us, namely banned books. Over the years countless famous books have been banned for a host of reasons. I suspect that not so long ago my satirical black comedy Necropolis would have raised the ire of the authorities.

In chronological order here are 10 famous books that have been banned:

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (1915)

Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a beetle. To compound matters Gregor’s family now see no use for him. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: Kafka’s books were banned in Czechoslovakia because he refused to write in Czech (Kafka wrote in German). The author’s works were also banned during the Nazi occupation and later by the communist regime.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence (1928)

Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a fictional account of an aristocrat’s clandestine love affair with the family gamekeeper. The book details their erotic meetings.

Why banned: Lady Chatterley’s Lover’s perceived pornographic content resulted in the original version being banned in the UK. Penguin published the book in its entirety when the decision was overturned in 1960.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)

Set during the Great Depression, The Grapes of Wrath is about a poor family from Oklahoma, who trek to California to start a new life.

Why banned: This Pullitzer Prize winner was banned from many libraries in the US, and was even burned, due to peoples outrage at its controversial depiction of the poor.

Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)

This dystopian novel about animals living on a farm is an allegory about the Russian Revolution and Stalinist rule in the Soviet Union.

Why banned: So controversial was the subject matter that the book was not published until more than a year after its completion. Animal Farm was banned in the Soviet bloc because of its political content.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951)

Protagonist Holden Caulfield recounts his two day trip to New York following expulsion from his private school for fighting with his roommate.

Why banned: Between 1966 and 1975 the book was the most frequently banned book in schools due to its profanity, sexual references and the relentless negativity of its protagonist.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955)

The story is about a man named Humbert Humbert, who falls in love with a twelve-year-old girl, Lolita, the daughter of his landlady. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: Citing the book’s controversial subject matter and perceived pornographic content, the UK Home Office confiscated all copies of the book in 1955. Lolita was banned in France the following year, but never in the US.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)

The story follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, a married optometrist and a survivor of the notorious firebombing of Dresden in World War II. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: Slaughterhouse-Five’s anti-war rhetoric has resulted in it being banned from numerous US schools and libraries. It is one of the American Library Association’s 100 most frequently challenged books.

The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (1988)

Having survived a plane crash, a Bollywood superstar has to rebuild his life, while the other survivor, an emigrant, finds his life in disarray.

Why banned: Many Muslims were offended by a number of allegedly pagan verses, which were included in the Qur’an, but later removed. It has been banned in Japan, Venezuela, and due to death threats, taken off the shelves of several US bookshops.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (1991)

The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier, Patrick Bateman. Patrick is an intelligent, well-educated, wealthy, good looking psychopath. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: American Psycho’s graphic violent and sexual content resulted in it being banned in Canada and Queensland (Australia). In the rest of Australia and New Zealand its sale remains restricted to those over eighteen.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (1996)

The book’s nameless narrator starts a fight club with charismatic anarchist Tyler Durden. Their fight club concept soon becomes very popular and spreads across the nation. Click here to read my review.

Why banned: Despite its violent content and anarchist philosophy, Fight Club was not widely banned. In 1999 the Chinese authorities prohibited the sale of the book due to it containing instructions on how to make explosives.

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I am the author of the satirical black comedy Necropolis.

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The Tortoise And The Hare

Aug 29 2014

No doubt like many writers I find there are days when I can effortlessly write several thousand words, and others when I struggle to write anything of note. This has often led me to wonder how long it has taken famous authors to write their novels.

On The Road by Jack Kerouac – The defining text of The Beat Generation was written in only three weeks, on a 120-foot scroll of paper. In this largely autobiographical account of Kerouac’s adventures in America and Mexico, the speed of the journey is mirrored by the frenzied pace of the prose. Click here to read my review.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne – This contemporary Irish novelist claims to have written his best selling fictional account of a boy living through the Holocaust in only two and a half days, which left him very little time to eat or sleep.

The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – The iconic Russian author purportedly wrote this novella in only twenty-six days, which is all the more impressive when one considers that he was also working on Crime and Punishment at the same time.

The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins – This largely autobiographical account of the author’s romantic relationship with a man, who refused to leave his wife, was written in only three weeks. Jenkins has stated publicly that she has never looked at the book since.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller – Based on Heller’s own experiences as a bombardier in WWII, this best-selling, satirical, anti-war novel, took the American author eight years to write. Catch-22 is frequently cited as one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov – The Russian-American author’s seminal work took five years to pen. This highly controversial novel is about a man’s (Humbert Humbert) infatuation with a twelve-year-old girl called Lolita. Click here to read my review.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett – Published in 1989, The Pillars of the Earth is a popular historical novel, about the building of a cathedral. The story, which is set primarily in the 12th century, took the former thriller author ten years to write.

And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer – This story about a group of women, who start a study club, in a fictional town in Ohio, took its author fifty years to write. The eighty-eight year old Santmyer achieved critical acclaim when it became a best seller in 1984.

My Top 5 Most Disturbing Books

Aug 22 2014

This week’s post is dedicated to the top five most disturbing books I have ever read.

5 – Lolita

Nabokov’s ornate masterpiece is about a man’s (Humbert Humbert) infatuation with a twelve-year-old girl. Lolita was regarded as so scandalous that it was rejected by a number of major publishers before its publication in 1955. If you don’t find the subject matter of Lolita disturbing, it would probably be advisable to keep it to yourself.

My Review: The protagonist, Humbert Humbert, is an intellectual with an all-consuming craving for young girls, or nymphets as he refers to them. After his wife leaves him for … (More)

4 – Less Than Zero

Less Than Zero is about a privileged group of L.A. youngsters, who appear on the surface to have an idealistic life, but in reality live unrewarding and superficial existences. Though less violent and graphic than the author’s seminal work, American Psycho, Less Than Zero’s unrelenting bleakness is deeply disturbing, at least in this reader’s opinion.

My Review: Set in nineteen-eighties Los Angeles, the story follows eighteen-year-old Clay, returned home for Christmas from college in New Hampshire. Clay immediately falls back into the L.A. social scene, … (More)

3 – Haunted

Haunted is a series of short stories, in which the author succeeds in not only amusing, horrifying and disgusting his readers, but also skilfully exploring a variety of themes. One of the short stories ‘Guts’, a tale of violent accidents involving masturbation, is so harrowing that during a 2003 reading by the author, it was reported that over thirty-five people fainted.

My Review: Haunted is about a group of writers, who have been assembled by the conniving Mr Whittier to attend a writers group. The location of the retreat is in an isolated theatre with no access to the outside … (More)

2 – American Psycho

American Psycho is a satire of the yuppies culture of the 1980s. The book caused outrage when it was published due to its explicit violent and sexual content, as well as its perceived misogynistic elements. American Psycho went on to become a cult classic and one of the most influential books of the nineties.

My Review: American Psycho is a highly controversial novel that brought its young author Bret Easton Ellis instant fame. The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier, Patrick Bateman … (More)

1 – The Killer Inside Me

The Killer Inside Me

The Killer Inside Me is a thought provoking, suspenseful and unrelentingly bleak first person narrative about a psychopath, in which the author, Jim Thompson, succeeds in engrossing and disturbing the reader through the use of suspense, and realistic, simple prose. It is without doubt the most disturbing work of fiction I have read to date.

My Review: Twenty-nine-year-old Lou Ford is a Deputy Sheriff from the West Texas town of Central City. Lou, who is in a long-term relationship with childhood sweetheart Amy Stanton, … (More)

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Alcoholic Authors V

Jul 18 2014

No doubt like countless others across the land I have been nursing a World Cup hangover this week. Struggling for inspiration for a blog post I have decided to the take the opportunity to return to my Alcoholic Authors series. Here is Part V:

F. Scott Fitzgerald

(September 24th 1896 – December 21st 1940)

Notable works: This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, Tender Is the Night.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, who is widely accepted as being one of the greatest writers of the 20th Century. An inspiration for a future generation of writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald is best remembered for his seminal work, The Great Gatsby. Adapted for the silver screen on five occasions, The Great Gatsby has sold millions of copies and is required reading in many schools and colleges.

Alcohol and alcoholics hold a prominent place in much of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing, which is perhaps not surprising considering the author was an alcoholic from college days to his death. A notorious exhibitionist who was prone to theatrical displays when under the influence, the iconic author was unwilling to quit his habit and even argued that drinking aided his writing efforts

At the age of forty-four F. Scott Fitzgerald died from an alcohol related heart attack.

John Cheever

(May 27th 1912 – June 18th 1982)

Notable works: The Enormous Radio, Goodbye, My Brother, The Swimmer.

Sometimes referred to as ‘the Chekhov of the suburbs’, John Cheever is recognized as one of the most important short story writers of the 20th Century. He also wrote four novels. A compilation of his short stories, The Stories of John Cleever, won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.In 1982 six weeks prior to his death Cheever was awarded the National Medal for Literature by the Academy of Arts and Letters.

At the height of his literary career Cheever began a twenty-year struggle with alcoholism. The writer’s outward appearance was at odds with his inner condition, and his drinking was presumably a means to cope with his sexual guilt (he was a closet bisexual) and a deep sense of self-loathing. The author did not admit to having a problem with alcohol until he was sent to a rehabilitation center in 1972, the same year that he suffered a massive heart attack. Cheever successfully quit drinking and lived to the relatively old age of seventy.

Click here to read Alcoholic Authors IV

Category - Authors

6 Famous Reclusive Authors

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10 Authors Bizarre Writing Habits

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5 Famous Bilingual Authors

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My Book Reviews

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The 12 Most Influential Books Ever

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7 Prolific Authors

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10 Famous Banned Books

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The Tortoise And The Hare

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My Top 5 Most Disturbing Books

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Alcoholic Authors V

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