I thought we'd kick off our first tentative steps into the blogosphere with a discussion of those literary greats who pushed the boundaries and frequently caused moral outrage - the hell raisers and trail blazers.
Here are my top 3 - let me know yours!
Arthur Rimbaud:
Teenage genius, Rimbaud led a life of excess in 19th Century France, running away to Paris and causing scandal with his affair with Verlaine whilst drinking superhuman quantities of absinthe. Having written most of his poetry in the space of 5 years, he stopped writing at just aged 19 and spent the rest of his life travelling. His work has been celebrated as both visionary and filled with symbolic meaning, and his influence can be seen today in the music of Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and the media's latest enfant terrible, Pete Doherty.Suggested Reading
Rimbaud Complete
Format: Trade Paperback, 656 pages
ISBN: 978-0-375-75770-9 (0-375-75770-8)
Price: £11.99
I Promise To Be Good - The Letters of Arthur Rimbaud
Format: Trade Paperback, 416 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8129-7015-9 (0-8129-7015-2)
Price: £13.99
Lord Byron
They don’t make romantics like they used to - Byron experienced it all - womanising, drinking, incest (yes, incest), travelling, marriage, divorce, and fighting for Greek Independence all before his death at the age of 37. Indeed, it’s perhaps surprising that he still had the time to write some of the nation’s favourite poetry. Suggested Reading
Selected Poetry of Lord Byron
Format: Trade Paperback, 768 pages
ISBN: 978-0-375-75814-0 (0-375-75814-3)
Price: 9.99
Oscar Wilde
A great wit, playwright and raconteur, Oscar Wilde’s success came to a swift end when his relationship with Alfred Douglas led to his trial on charges of homosexuality (then illegal in Britain). The dandyish Wilde was no stranger to decadence - his notoriety spread throughout high society as his barbed wit outraged and enthralled in equal measure.Suggested Reading
De Profundis
Format: Trade Paperback, 160 pages
ISBN: 978-0-679-78321-3 (0-679-78321-0)
Price: £6.99
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Format: Trade Paperback, 304 pages
ISBN: 978-0-375-75151-6 (0-375-75151-3)
Price: £6.99
The Importance of Being Earnest
Format: Trade Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8129-6714-2 (0-8129-6714-3)
Price: £6.99
Some other names well worthy of mention are:
Hunter S. Thompson, Truman Capote, F. Scott Fitzgerald, DH Lawrence,
Who else do you think should be included - who are your personal favourite trouble makers?
Happy Reading!
Martin
