Stephen McKenna (1) (1888–1967)
Autore di Sonia: Between Two Worlds
Per altri autori con il nome Stephen McKenna, vedi la pagina di disambiguazione.
Sull'Autore
Fonte dell'immagine: Cut down scan of back cover of Penguin No.703. Attributed to 'Bassano'.
Serie
Opere di Stephen McKenna
Ninety-six hours' leave 2 copie
Soliloquy 1 copia
Den hemliga segern 1 copia
Vindication;: A novel, 1 copia
Magic Quest 1 copia
To-morrow and to-morrow; a novel 1 copia
Pearl Wedding 1 copia
Opere correlate
Rosemary — Collaboratore — 1 copia
Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Data di nascita
- 1888-02-27
- Data di morte
- 1967-09-26
- Sesso
- male
- Nazionalità
- UK
- Luogo di nascita
- Beckenham, Kent, England, UK
- Istruzione
- Westminster School, London
Oxford University (Christ Church) - Attività lavorative
- Civil servant
Utenti
Recensioni
Liste
Premi e riconoscimenti
Potrebbero anche piacerti
Autori correlati
Statistiche
- Opere
- 17
- Opere correlate
- 1
- Utenti
- 51
- Popolarità
- #311,767
- Voto
- 4.2
- Recensioni
- 2
- ISBN
- 29
Barbara's reputation has proceeded her to London with great attention to the upper reaches of society during the years before the First World War. Barbara first gains noteriety by being in a plane crash (surviving) because she persuaded the pilot to take her up. Next she is involved in an auto crash (chauffeur is killed) due to her persuading a friend to take the the car (chauffeur is bribed) without permission. The incident all but ruins her place in society but she bounces back by playing up to the drama and tragedy of the thing in the Illustrated Paper. Next she is present at a seance escorted by the same friend of the car crash, where one member of the group drops dead during a session with the Medium. Three strikes--but Barbara is not out!
She spurns all proposals of marriage opting to wait for the man who cares nothing for her (!)---a situation which looks impossible in the crowds of egible and smitten London bachelors. Eventually her hope turns up in the character of George Waring, a stiff, humorless, conservative barrister. Here is one fellow who not only doesn't care about her but goes to great lengths to avoid her. She sets out, successfully, to catch him through various subtrifuges. He eventually pursues her--which brings Barbara to a personal crisis of identity. Just who and what is she? The personalities of both Barbara and George are scrutinized and eventually pegged by readers as war looms and the two main characters struggle to connect. The ending is far from satisfactory but then this is the first installment in McKenna's trilogy, The Sensationalists).
Although McKenna has fallen out of favor with most readers today, his depiction of the life of innocent frivolity in London-before-the Great War, has considerable charm. Whether intentional or not, McKenna's subtexts in this novel call out to 21st century readers e.g. Barbara's loss of a female sibling=wildness, anorexia, and self-loathing; Barbara's relationship with her father=conquering a suitor who initially cares nothing for her, etc. all told with wide-eyed innocence.… (altro)