Colin MacInnes (1914–1976)
Autore di Absolute Beginners
Sull'Autore
Fonte dell'immagine: Courtesy of Allison and Busby
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Opere di Colin MacInnes
MacInnes Colin 1 copia
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Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Nome canonico
- MacInnes, Colin
- Altri nomi
- McInnes, Colin (birth)
Thirkell, Colin (childhood) - Data di nascita
- 1914-08-20
- Data di morte
- 1976-04-22
- Sesso
- male
- Nazionalità
- UK (birth)
Australia (passport) - Nazione (per mappa)
- UK
- Luogo di nascita
- London, England, UK
- Luogo di residenza
- London, England, UK (birth)
Australia - Istruzione
- London Polytechnic
School of Drawing and Painting, Euston Road, London, UK - Attività lavorative
- novelist
journalist - Relazioni
- McInnes, James Campbell (father)
Thirkell, Angela (mother)
Kipling, Rudyard (cousin)
Baldwin, Stanley (cousin)
Thirkell, Lance (half brother)
McInnes, Graham (brother) (mostra tutto 7)
Burne-Jones, Edward (great-grandfather) - Organizzazioni
- BBC Radio
British Army (WWII) - Breve biografia
- Son of singer Joseph Campbell McInnes and novelist Angela Thirkell, Colin MacInnes was born in London, raised in Australia, and returned to England in 1930. He served the UK in WWII, after which he wrote his first novel, To the Victor the Spoils, and worked for BBC Radio until he could earn a living writing.
He was openly bisexual, and though obviously in love with the city of London, remained relatively realistic about urban life. This is reflected in his writing, which often addresses race relations of the day, urban squalor, and includes frank and realistic depictions of gay and lesbian characters.
Utenti
Discussioni
1914: Colin MacInnes - Resources and General Discussion in Literary Centennials (Febbraio 2015)
Recensioni
Energetic and well-written account of youthful mucking-about in London of the 1950s. London then, like any big city any time, offers freedom from conformism and constraints, a stage for self-expression and self-discovery, and a crew of charismatic chancers. This time also has milk bars and music, beatniks with their now-weird cool slang, and some, thankfully also now dated, race riots, as indeed did occur in 1958 in Notting Hill, then still solidly working class. Echoes of James Dean and somehow of Dean Moriarty.… (altro)
A picaresque novel of a young free-lance photographer in 1958 London. A little difficult for me to follow at times due to the author's heavy use of late '50s British colloquialisms and teenage slang. Though not nearly as heavy as "A Clockwork Orange" published three years later, which may have been influenced by the same events (e.g. Rising youth culture and gang violence, Teddy Boys, the Notting Hill Race Riots). I got more out of the education of events and sub-culture then anything else the book offered.… (altro)
A bit of just not quite stream of conscious as we follow the just turning 19 year old aspiring photographer and jazz lover around 1959 London. It is a bit of a critique of the people and a paean to the city as it should aspire to be. The mixed maturity level of the main character isn't quite realistic, but does convey what a liberal of the time hope he would be. It's a fun trip.
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Statistiche
- Opere
- 20
- Opere correlate
- 4
- Utenti
- 1,238
- Popolarità
- #20,731
- Voto
- 3.6
- Recensioni
- 27
- ISBN
- 87
- Lingue
- 6
- Preferito da
- 3
The coloured community of 1950s london is a pretty unique setting. As well as nigerians you have gambians, people from trinidad and other caribbean islands, and a number of americans usually visitors, GIs or showbiz types.
However after the initial setup things become a bit episodic or sporadic might be a better descriptor. With its variety of characters it reminds me a lot of [a:Evelyn Waugh|11315|Evelyn Waugh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1357463949p2/11315.jpg], except not funny, then again i don't usually find his stuff all that funny either :P .
Like Waughs novels, by the end there arn't really any likable characters or over-arcing plot, its more just a series of incidents.
The main nigerian character probably comes off the worst until you remember he's 18, which pretty conclusively explains if not entirely excuses his actions ;) .
The book is about race but not really racism. Its surprisingly light on the racism for 1950s but mostly because there are only a few white characters and they're mostly of the very liberal type.
By the end the whole thing just feels a bit slight. Fun and interesting enough but a bit thin.… (altro)