The Works of Max Beerbohm
Encyclopedia
The Works of Max Beerbohm was the first book published by English
caricaturist
, essayist
and parodist
Max Beerbohm
. It was published in 1896 when Beerbohm was aged 24.
A collection of Beerbohm's essay
s from the 1890s written while he was still a student at Oxford
and which had originally been printed in The Yellow Book, The Savoy
, The Pageant, The Chap Book, and other notable periodicals, the book was published in London by John Lane
at The Bodley Head
in 1896, and launched Beerbohm's career as an essayist
.
The book contains Beerbohm's notorious essay A Defence of Cosmetics
, which had appeared in the first number of The Yellow Book in April 1894, revised and renamed The Pervasion of Rouge.
"Replete with mock-scholarly footnotes and biographical information, The Works epitomizes Beerbohm's penchant for deflating pretentiousness with satiric imitation," wrote Ann Adams Cleary in the Dictionary of Literary Biography
. "Anything large-ideas, ideals, literary works, London crowds-caused him dismay."
In this, his first book, the 24-year-old Beerbohm announced gravely that he would now retire from letters, having said all there was to say. Of course, he did not.
A limited edition of 780 copies, signed and numbered by the author, was issued in 1922, with 750 being offered for sale, while the remaining 30 were for presentation.
A Good Prince
1880
King George the Fourth
The Pervasion of Rouge
Poor Romeo!
Diminuendo
Bibliography
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
caricaturist
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
, essayist
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
and parodist
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
Max Beerbohm
Max Beerbohm
Sir Henry Maximilian "Max" Beerbohm was an English essayist, parodist and caricaturist best known today for his 1911 novel Zuleika Dobson.-Early life:...
. It was published in 1896 when Beerbohm was aged 24.
A collection of Beerbohm's essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s from the 1890s written while he was still a student at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and which had originally been printed in The Yellow Book, The Savoy
The Savoy (periodical)
This article is about the former British magazine, for other uses, see Savoy The Savoy was a magazine of literature, art, and criticism published in 1896 in London. It featured work by authors such as W. B. Yeats, Max Beerbohm, Joseph Conrad, and Aubrey Beardsley. Only eight issues of the magazine...
, The Pageant, The Chap Book, and other notable periodicals, the book was published in London by John Lane
John Lane (publisher)
-Biography:Originally from Devon, where he was born into a farming family, Lane moved to London already in his teens. While working as a clerk at the Railway Clearing House, he acquired knowledge as an autodidact....
at The Bodley Head
The Bodley Head
The Bodley Head is an English publishing house, founded in 1887 and existing as an independent entity until the 1970s. The name has been used as an imprint of Random House Children's Books since 1987...
in 1896, and launched Beerbohm's career as an essayist
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
.
The book contains Beerbohm's notorious essay A Defence of Cosmetics
A Defence of Cosmetics
A Defence of Cosmetics is an essay by caricaturist and parodist Max Beerbohm and published in the first edition of The Yellow Book in April 1894. Aged 21 when the essay was published, it established his reputation...
, which had appeared in the first number of The Yellow Book in April 1894, revised and renamed The Pervasion of Rouge.
"Replete with mock-scholarly footnotes and biographical information, The Works epitomizes Beerbohm's penchant for deflating pretentiousness with satiric imitation," wrote Ann Adams Cleary in the Dictionary of Literary Biography
Dictionary of Literary Biography
The Dictionary of Literary Biography is a specialist encyclopedia dedicated to literature. Published by Gale, the 375-volumes set covers a wide variety of literary topics, periods, and genres, with a focus on American and British literature....
. "Anything large-ideas, ideals, literary works, London crowds-caused him dismay."
In this, his first book, the 24-year-old Beerbohm announced gravely that he would now retire from letters, having said all there was to say. Of course, he did not.
A limited edition of 780 copies, signed and numbered by the author, was issued in 1922, with 750 being offered for sale, while the remaining 30 were for presentation.
Contents
Dandies and DandiesA Good Prince
1880
King George the Fourth
The Pervasion of Rouge
A Defence of Cosmetics
A Defence of Cosmetics is an essay by caricaturist and parodist Max Beerbohm and published in the first edition of The Yellow Book in April 1894. Aged 21 when the essay was published, it established his reputation...
Poor Romeo!
Diminuendo
Bibliography
External links
- http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1859Complete text of The Works of Max Beerbohm on Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
] - Complete text of The Works of Max Beerbohm on Oakknoll.com
- 'The Works of Max Beerbohm' in Victorian Web
- Turning the pages of The Works of Max Beerbohm