- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Sceptre; First U.S. Edition edition (30 April 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340935669
- ISBN-13: 978-0340935668
- Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 2 x 19.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 201,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Great Lover
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Review
'Moving, intelligent, beautifully written and hugely enjoyable' -- Sunday Times 'Dawson brilliantly evokes Brooke's volatility, his inner dissolution and ultimate breakdown.' -- Independent 'Strong, satisfying and memorable' -- Helen Dunmore, The Times 'Not only engaging and seductive, it is also clever, witty and artfully designed' -- Times Literary Supplement 'An exceptional book even from the prize-winning Dawson -- clever, moving, sexy and with a mesmerising feel for that magical, optimistic, but doomed time just before the Great War' -- Daily Mail 'Nell is a wonderful creation: resilient, intelligent and heart-breakingly innocent ... [Dawson]manages not only an impressive evocation of Brooke's milieu but a compelling reassessment of a poet often dismissed by modern readers ... most of all, her novel digs Brooke out of that corner of a foreign field that is forever cliche' -- Time Out 'Jill Dawson has created a convincing world of huge pathos; a subtle, evocative anti-fairy-tale of doomed youth by one of Britain's most subtle and accomplished writers' -- Liz Jensen, Waterstone's Books Quarterly 'The Great Lover has many wonderful scenes ... But it is remarkable principally for its Rupert Brooke, glorious in all his agony and shame, particularly as he sees his sanity slipping away from him ... this novel shows a rare mastery of materials. Dawson has worked the imaginary character of Nell so seamlessly into the narrative of Brooke's life that Nell seems to belong there. It is difficult to see where the many direct quotations from letters and memories end and Dawson's imagination begins.' -- Daily Telegraph
Review
'Moving, intelligent, beautifully written and hugely enjoyable' (Sunday Times )
'Dawson brilliantly evokes Brooke's volatility, his inner dissolution and ultimate breakdown.' (Independent )
'Strong, satisfying and memorable' (Helen Dunmore, The Times )
'Not only engaging and seductive, it is also clever, witty and artfully designed' (Times Literary Supplement )
'An exceptional book even from the prize-winning Dawson – clever, moving, sexy and with a mesmerising feel for that magical, optimistic, but doomed time just before the Great War' (Daily Mail )
'Nell is a wonderful creation: resilient, intelligent and heart-breakingly innocent . . . [Dawson]manages not only an impressive evocation of Brooke’s milieu but a compelling reassessment of a poet often dismissed by modern readers . . . most of all, her novel digs Brooke out of that corner of a foreign field that is forever cliché' (Time Out )
'Jill Dawson has created a convincing world of huge pathos; a subtle, evocative anti-fairy-tale of doomed youth by one of Britain’s most subtle and accomplished writers' (Liz Jensen, Waterstone’s Books Quarterly )
'The Great Lover has many wonderful scenes . . . But it is remarkable principally for its Rupert Brooke, glorious in all his agony and shame, particularly as he sees his sanity slipping away from him . . . this novel shows a rare mastery of materials. Dawson has worked the imaginary character of Nell so seamlessly into the narrative of Brooke’s life that Nell seems to belong there. It is difficult to see where the many direct quotations from letters and memories end and Dawson’s imagination begins.' (Daily Telegraph )
'Dawson brilliantly evokes Brooke's volatility, his inner dissolution and ultimate breakdown.' (Independent )
'Strong, satisfying and memorable' (Helen Dunmore, The Times )
'Not only engaging and seductive, it is also clever, witty and artfully designed' (Times Literary Supplement )
'An exceptional book even from the prize-winning Dawson – clever, moving, sexy and with a mesmerising feel for that magical, optimistic, but doomed time just before the Great War' (Daily Mail )
'Nell is a wonderful creation: resilient, intelligent and heart-breakingly innocent . . . [Dawson]manages not only an impressive evocation of Brooke’s milieu but a compelling reassessment of a poet often dismissed by modern readers . . . most of all, her novel digs Brooke out of that corner of a foreign field that is forever cliché' (Time Out )
'Jill Dawson has created a convincing world of huge pathos; a subtle, evocative anti-fairy-tale of doomed youth by one of Britain’s most subtle and accomplished writers' (Liz Jensen, Waterstone’s Books Quarterly )
'The Great Lover has many wonderful scenes . . . But it is remarkable principally for its Rupert Brooke, glorious in all his agony and shame, particularly as he sees his sanity slipping away from him . . . this novel shows a rare mastery of materials. Dawson has worked the imaginary character of Nell so seamlessly into the narrative of Brooke’s life that Nell seems to belong there. It is difficult to see where the many direct quotations from letters and memories end and Dawson’s imagination begins.' (Daily Telegraph )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There's a lot that is good in this novel, but somehow it didn't really engage me although I picked it up intrigued to know more about Rupert Brooke's sojourn in the South Seas. (A biographical detail that was new to me.)
But somehow the biographical details weigh too heavily and crush this as a novel. Nevertheless, I loved the spirited character of Nell, the beekeeper/kitchenmaid ... and Jill Dawson brings vividly alive the Orchard tearooms and the Old Vicarage (still there, I believe) where there is honey still for tea. She also conveys vividly her love of the Fens, Nell's childhood home.
But I found the character of Rupert, and his interminable adolescent preoccupation with losing his virginity to one gender or another, deeply tiresome (though it does give an insight into the thwarted sexuality of respectable young Edwardians). And the drip-drip-drip of constant Bloomsbury-ish name-dropping is likewise rather boring.
I plodded on and finished it ... but it was plodding and at the half-way point, I came very near to abandoning this book.
But somehow the biographical details weigh too heavily and crush this as a novel. Nevertheless, I loved the spirited character of Nell, the beekeeper/kitchenmaid ... and Jill Dawson brings vividly alive the Orchard tearooms and the Old Vicarage (still there, I believe) where there is honey still for tea. She also conveys vividly her love of the Fens, Nell's childhood home.
But I found the character of Rupert, and his interminable adolescent preoccupation with losing his virginity to one gender or another, deeply tiresome (though it does give an insight into the thwarted sexuality of respectable young Edwardians). And the drip-drip-drip of constant Bloomsbury-ish name-dropping is likewise rather boring.
I plodded on and finished it ... but it was plodding and at the half-way point, I came very near to abandoning this book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Novelists thrive on the gaps in a story, the murky places that only imagination can illuminate." (...taken from Jill Dawson's website). - Before reading this novel I wasn't aware of Rupert Brooke's life - all I knew was the intensely moving war poems I'd studied at school and the fact that he died early of septicaemia, which seemed an anti-climax for a heroic and patriotic war poet! - I'm therefore extremely grateful for Jill Dawson's imaginative depiction of the 'real' Brooke.
What I enjoyed most about this novel was the idealism captured by Dawson's engaging and poetic prose, which really brought the spirit of the time just before the Great War alive for me. - The way she blended real phrases and snippets of genuine letters, conversations and feelings into her fiction was a powerful way to give voice to her main characters. It was an unreal time, when those of Brooke's set were able to delay the growing up process and remain perpetually innocent, while at the same time, and perhaps paradoxically, experimenting with the definitions of acceptability. It was a unique period of history and powerfully evoked by Dawson.
Nell, the counterpoint in the novel, was absolutely delightful bringing balance and making the political backdrop of the suffragist movement, early socialism and the Fabian society more three dimensional and clearly rooted in the time. The symbolism of Nell with the bees was all-pervading within the novel clearly denoting the layers of society and expected behavioural morals of the time - 'Bees have morals! They're loyal. They're devoted to their queen and they work so hard! There's no shame in service...Bees live only to serve!' - the fact that they embodied part of the sensual core of the novel was a clever device - the sexual energy almost fizzed off the page because of it.
The only reason I didn't give this novel 5 stars is that I'm not sure I want Dawson's version of Brooke to be my version of Brooke - I'll be looking for a biography or two to flesh out a rounded picture of the man and the times.
Additionally, the scenes in Tahiti didn't convince me. Given that the novel begins with a fictional letter from Brooke's potentially illegitimate daughter with Taatamata, I was expecting a far more powerful sense of profound love and passion from the scenes in Tahiti. I wanted to be knocked off my feet by their love story, to feel that Brooke finally found what he was looking for. I wanted all the experimentation and sexual ambiguity of his youth to culminate in a one-time, all consuming 'I can now die happy' moment. - Perhaps that's the romantic in me and is an unreasonable demand. BUT - I was deeply affected by the fact that Brooke died so young, that a major talent was lost too soon and for some reason if I was convinced that he'd found what he wanted in Tahiti it might have made his premature death more bearable.
Despite the Tahitian disappointment - I thought, overall, this book was absolutely fantastic and I will now be going out to buy more of Jill Dawson's novels. Her amazingly poetic and engaging writing style is, by far, the best I've read in a very long time!
What I enjoyed most about this novel was the idealism captured by Dawson's engaging and poetic prose, which really brought the spirit of the time just before the Great War alive for me. - The way she blended real phrases and snippets of genuine letters, conversations and feelings into her fiction was a powerful way to give voice to her main characters. It was an unreal time, when those of Brooke's set were able to delay the growing up process and remain perpetually innocent, while at the same time, and perhaps paradoxically, experimenting with the definitions of acceptability. It was a unique period of history and powerfully evoked by Dawson.
Nell, the counterpoint in the novel, was absolutely delightful bringing balance and making the political backdrop of the suffragist movement, early socialism and the Fabian society more three dimensional and clearly rooted in the time. The symbolism of Nell with the bees was all-pervading within the novel clearly denoting the layers of society and expected behavioural morals of the time - 'Bees have morals! They're loyal. They're devoted to their queen and they work so hard! There's no shame in service...Bees live only to serve!' - the fact that they embodied part of the sensual core of the novel was a clever device - the sexual energy almost fizzed off the page because of it.
The only reason I didn't give this novel 5 stars is that I'm not sure I want Dawson's version of Brooke to be my version of Brooke - I'll be looking for a biography or two to flesh out a rounded picture of the man and the times.
Additionally, the scenes in Tahiti didn't convince me. Given that the novel begins with a fictional letter from Brooke's potentially illegitimate daughter with Taatamata, I was expecting a far more powerful sense of profound love and passion from the scenes in Tahiti. I wanted to be knocked off my feet by their love story, to feel that Brooke finally found what he was looking for. I wanted all the experimentation and sexual ambiguity of his youth to culminate in a one-time, all consuming 'I can now die happy' moment. - Perhaps that's the romantic in me and is an unreasonable demand. BUT - I was deeply affected by the fact that Brooke died so young, that a major talent was lost too soon and for some reason if I was convinced that he'd found what he wanted in Tahiti it might have made his premature death more bearable.
Despite the Tahitian disappointment - I thought, overall, this book was absolutely fantastic and I will now be going out to buy more of Jill Dawson's novels. Her amazingly poetic and engaging writing style is, by far, the best I've read in a very long time!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a nice idea: a love affair that never quite manages to get going between the poet Rupert Brooke and Nell, an upper servant, but Dawson doesn't manage to pull it off. The story is told in alternating short first-person narratives which I found frustratingly bitty: just when something interesting is starting to happen, the narrative is broken off; and there's not enough continuity between the two leaving lots of spaces in the story.
Rupert Brooke starts off as charming and louche with his Cambridge studies and his poetry and his Bloomsbury set connections - all very predictable though nicely done. But his later `breakdown' didn't really work for me: it just happened too fast and then was over and everything was back to normal.
Nell's voice I found completely unconvincing: she might be an educated upper servant but she sounded just too close to Rupert himself, and the discrepancy between his view of her as `beautiful' and hers of herself as the brainy type rather than a beauty seemed very forced and awkward.
At heart this is a story about fantasies and realities and the clash between the two. The potential love affair is always one that exists in the imagination and is actually built on the distance - social, cultural, intellectual - between Nell and Brooke : any attempt to bridge the gap would just reveal all the more clearly the complete mutual incomprehension between them.
Overall this is a book with lots of interesting ideas in play but I didn't feel they really came together in a coherent fashion. Worth a read if you're interested in Brooke, the early C20th, the Bloomsbury-ites etc but it's not one that will stick in my mind.
Rupert Brooke starts off as charming and louche with his Cambridge studies and his poetry and his Bloomsbury set connections - all very predictable though nicely done. But his later `breakdown' didn't really work for me: it just happened too fast and then was over and everything was back to normal.
Nell's voice I found completely unconvincing: she might be an educated upper servant but she sounded just too close to Rupert himself, and the discrepancy between his view of her as `beautiful' and hers of herself as the brainy type rather than a beauty seemed very forced and awkward.
At heart this is a story about fantasies and realities and the clash between the two. The potential love affair is always one that exists in the imagination and is actually built on the distance - social, cultural, intellectual - between Nell and Brooke : any attempt to bridge the gap would just reveal all the more clearly the complete mutual incomprehension between them.
Overall this is a book with lots of interesting ideas in play but I didn't feel they really came together in a coherent fashion. Worth a read if you're interested in Brooke, the early C20th, the Bloomsbury-ites etc but it's not one that will stick in my mind.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Rupert Brooke: as he might have been
Jill Dawson has clearly researched her subject thoroughly and written a very plausible version of the life of Rupert Brooke who is best known as a young poet who like lots of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Peter T.
Review for the unabridged audio version.
This is a difficult book to review, given that it is based on the life of a poet who lived early last century (1887 - 1915). Read more
Published 11 months ago by DubaiReader
Good but not brilliant
Excellent & original story, but not exactly a 'must' read unless you have a particular interest in Rupert Brooke.
Published on 17 May 2010 by E. Macfarlane
Not just Upstairs/Downstairs
I was at first surprised by how different this book was to 'Watch me Disappear' which, though I enjoyed it, seemed pedestrian in comparison to The Great Lover. Read more
Published on 4 April 2010 by Adele Hall
I loved it!
I cannot understand any reader who finds this book dull. It is beautifully written, meticulously researched wonderfully put together. Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2010 by Damocles
Didn't do it for me
This was this month's choice for our book club and I therefore plodded my way trough it laboriously. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2010 by T. Ljubic-Brown
In reality the diver on the front of the book should be naked!
Rupert Brooke as The Great Lover, being the title of one of his last poems written in 1914, doesn't mean what the label implies. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2009 by Mrs. Katharine Kirby
The Great Lover
Thank you for this book - an unusual read - I did enjoy it though.
Published on 1 Nov 2009 by Mrs. W. B. Taylor
dull
Couldn't really get into this and found the story quite dull. I read a lot of the Richard and Judy books and whilst I have found some crackers they do tend to go for novels with... Read more
Published on 21 July 2009 by love reading
Fascinating
I found that this book gave a fascinating account of male sexuality, primarily because I had always seen women was the more jealous of the sexes. Read more
Published on 20 July 2009 by Ms. J. E. Davis
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