The Author of Beltraffio
A young American admirer recounts his eager, self-conscious preparation for and eventual visit to a celebrated English novelist at his Surrey country house. He describes prior absorption in a controversial, art-for-art-sake novel and how travel in Italy sharpened his sympathy with the writer’s aesthetic; he waits for the author’s return from a distant tour and sends a timid note seeking permission to call. The visit begins at a small station and continues on a short walk, during which the narrator observes the novelist’s blend of affability and self-consciousness, his slightly dishevelled elegance, and reflects on the temperament and habits that animate his work.
About This Book
A young American admirer recounts his eager, self-conscious preparation for and eventual visit to a celebrated English novelist at his Surrey country house. He describes prior absorption in a controversial, art-for-art-sake novel and how travel in Italy sharpened his sympathy with the writer’s aesthetic; he waits for the author’s return from a distant tour and sends a timid note seeking permission to call. The visit begins at a small station and continues on a short walk, during which the narrator observes the novelist’s blend of affability and self-consciousness, his slightly dishevelled elegance, and reflects on the temperament and habits that animate his work.
About the Author
