After reading any book, and before writing my own review, I often check out other reviews as a way of comparing notes. I like to see how my impressions line up with other readers. Generally I find that my reaction to a book is roughly in line with what others have to say.

That is not the case with my latest Modern Library challenge read, Disraeli: A Picture of the Victorian Age. This book gets 4 stars on Amazon and 3.8 on Goodreads, and 3.5 here on LibraryThing. Sixty-three percent of readers on Goodreads give it 4 or 5 stars. I see folks who say they don’t usually like biographies but loved the book, and others who find it “fascinating”. I’m sorry to say I am not of the same opinion.

Maurois’ biography of Disraeli was first published in French in 1927, then quickly translated into English and published in London in 1928 by John Lane’s The Bodley Head publishing house. Hamish Miles did the translation, and the result is definitely a 1928 British English rendition. That is to say it’s given to overlong sentences delivered in a manner that sounds to my modern ear as if it’s trying too much. Or maybe it’s just me.

At random from page 177 of my edition (Part II, Chapter 5) here is a sample sentence: “Like all intelligent men who are not in any way creative, Sir Robert was dangerously sympathetic towards the creations of others.”

And it’s not just the language. Disraeli is known as a key British prime minister, one who helped steer the course of the Conservative party onto a more modern path and ensured its relevance. While you get some of that from this book, much of it was alluded to rather than discussed. The politics that were discussed had more to do with Disraeli’s personal success against rivals in the House of Commons.

At the time this book was written people were likely much more knowledgeable about the events and the political personalities of the Victorian era. But almost 100 years later Maurois’ political discussions really didn’t mean much at all to me. I just didn’t get a feel for why they were important or why they contributed to Disraeli’s growing popularity and success.

I will say that Maurois paints a clear picture of Disraeli the man, of what motivated and moved him. I think this picture is what other reviewers are reacting to. But what was missing for me was any reason why I should care.

I’ve not read any other books on Disraeli, nor am I steeped in any depth of knowledge on the workings of the government of the British Empire during the Victorian era. Perhaps if I were I would have appreciated this book more. So in that way I guess I reacted to this book almost as if I had started out to read a sequel first, and one that depended too much on your understanding of what had happened in the first book.

Unless you have a specific interest and understanding of Victorian Britain, and prior knowledge of Disraeli’s career, I cannot recommend this one. ( )

I found it a little hard to get into but once in, I really liked it. I knew very little about Disraeli. Disraeli lived his life in a very interesting way. ( )

FBB-5

A popular biography of the important, conservative, British PM. I believe it to be the foundation of serious study of the man and his effect on the Nineteenth Century. ( )

I found this book interesting but it has been years it would deserve a reread to be fair to it. ( )