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Ariel: A Literary Life of Jan Morris Hardcover – September 26, 2017

by Derek Johns (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Jan Morris is one of the great British writers of the post-war era. Soldier, journalist, writer about places (rather than ‘travel writer’), elegist of the British Empire, novelist, she has fashioned a distinctive prose style that is elegant, fastidious, supple, and sometimes gloriously gaudy. For many readers she is best known for her candid memoir Conundrum, which described the gender reassignment operation she underwent in 1972.

But as Ariel demonstrates, this is just one of the many remarkable facts about her life. As James Morris she was the journalist who brought back the story of the conquest of Everest in 1953 and who discovered incontrovertible evidence of British involvement in the Suez Crisis of 1956. She has been described by Rebecca West as the finest prose stylist of her time, and her essays span the entire urban world. Her many books include a classic on Venice, a 1,600 page history of the British Empire, and a homage to what is perhaps her favorite city, Trieste. Her writings on Wales represent the most thorough literary investigation of that mysterious land.

Derek Johns was Jan Morris’s literary agent for twenty years. Ariel is not a conventional biography, but rather an appreciation of the work and life of someone who besides being a delightful writer is known to many people as a generous, affectionate, witty and irreverent friend. It is published to coincide with her 90th birthday.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Faber & Faber
  4. Publication date
    September 26, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0571331637
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0571331635
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Perhaps the best descriptive writer of our time." - Rebecca West "I don't think there's a writer alive who has Jan Morris's serenity or strength." - Paul Theroux

About the Author

Derek Johns has been a bookseller, editor, publisher and literary agent. He is a former trustee of English PEN and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. His novel The Billy Palmer Chronicles was published in 2010. He lives in London.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber & Faber; Main edition (September 26, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0571331637
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0571331635
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
32 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

There are 0 reviews and 6 ratings from the United States

Top reviews from other countries

Saket
5.0 out of 5 stars Very considerate
Reviewed in India on December 30, 2018
Verified Purchase
Must-have for admirers of Jan Morris
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jill essery
5.0 out of 5 stars A very pleasurable insight to the life and works of Jan Morris
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
If you love reading anything by Jan/James Morris, you will surely love this. Back biographical detail gives context and insight into her work, as well as just being a fascinating peep at a much-loved travel writer. Derek Johns writes perceptively and elegantly, so his text, too, is a pleasure to read. And the delicious little line drawings by Jan Morris herself are an unexpected extra.
3 people found this helpful
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paul foster
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2023
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Pleased
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C W G Bullocke
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2016
Verified Purchase
A useful little book, arrived in good order and on time.
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Book fiend
4.0 out of 5 stars Not by any means a complete biography but a very good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
An excellent introduction to Jan (James) Morris' writing, covering an enormous range of travels and history. Derek Johns has taken excerpts of Morris's writing, setting them in the context of the time and their subject and giving the background with illuminating details of Morris' life. Guaranteed to tempt you towards at least one of Morris' many books. And the line drawings are a revelation.
3 people found this helpful
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