Vivian GreyCassell, 1906 - 447 páginas Disraeli was barely twenty-one when he published "Vivian Grey," his first work of fiction; and the young author was at once hailed as a master of his art by an almost unanimous press. In this, as in his subsequent books, it was not so much Disraeli's notable skill as a novelist but rather his portrayal of the social and political life of the day that made him one of the most popular writers of his generation, and earned for him a lasting fame as a man of letters. In "Vivian Grey" is narrated the career of an ambitious young man of rank; and in this story the brilliant author has preserved to us the exact tone of the English drawing room, as he so well knew it, sketching with sure and rapid strokes a whole portrait gallery of notables, disguised in name may be, but living characters nevertheless, who charm us with their graceful manners and general air of being people of consequence. "Vivian Grey," then, though not a great novel is beyond question a marvelously true picture of the life and character of an interesting period of English history and made notable because of Disraeli's fine imagination and vivid descriptive powers. |
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Términos y frases comunes
acquainted admiration agitated amusing appearance Baron von Konigstein Baroness beautiful Beckendorff Boeffleurs bottle castle certainly character Château Desir Chevalier Cleveland companion conversation Count of Eberstein countenance course Court Courtown dear delightful dinner entered Essper George everything exertions eyes father fear feel Felix Lorraine fellow Fitzloom fortune Frankfort gazed Geisenheim gentleman give going Grafenberg Grand Duke hand head honour horse hour imagine immediately interest Little Lilliput look Lord Lordship Madame Carolina Marchioness Margrave Marquess of Carabas Master Rodolph mediatised mind Minister Miss Fane Miss Graves morning nature never night noble party passed person Philipson political present Prince of Little Reisenburg round Royal Highness Rudesheimer seemed Sievers silence singular smile Sohnspeer soon speak spirit sure tell thou thought to-day to-night Toad Violet Fane Vivian Grey voice walk whole wish woman young
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Página 96 - We talked with open heart, and tongue Affectionate and true, A pair of friends, though I was young, And Matthew seventy-two. We lay beneath a spreading oak, Beside a mossy seat ; And from the turf a fountain broke, And gurgled at our feet. 'Now, Matthew...
Página 106 - But am I entitled — I, who can lose nothing — am I entitled to play with other men's fortunes? Am I, all this time, deceiving myself with some wretched sophistry ? Am I then an intellectual Don Juan, reckless of human minds as he was of human bodies — a spiritual libertine...
Página 113 - Shrined in this secret chamber of your soul there is an image before which you bow down in adoration, and that image is YOURSELF. And truly, when I do gaze upon your radiant eyes," and here the lady's tone became more terrestrial; "and truly, when I do look upon your luxuriant curls...
Página 357 - Beckendorff — to become guardians of our weaker fellow-creatures — that all power is a trust — that we are accountable for its exercise — that, from the people, and for the people, all springs, and all must exist...
Página 364 - Man is not the creature of circumstances. Circumstances are the creatures of men. We are free agents, and man is more powerful than matter.
Página 27 - Vivian Grey was reputed in the world as having the most astonishing memory that ever existed ; for there was scarcely a subject of discussion in which he did not gain the victory, by the great names he enlisted on his side of the argument.
Página 477 - ... side, and hope gave way before the scene of desolation. Immense branches were shivered from the largest trees; small ones were entirely stripped of their leaves; the long grass was bowed to the earth; the waters were whirled in eddies out of the little rivulets; birds...
Página 19 - The Bar: pooh! law and bad jokes till we are forty; and then, with the most brilliant success, the prospect of gout and a coronet.
Página 20 - Yes! we must mix with the herd; we must enter into their feelings; we must humour their weaknesses; we must sympathise with the sorrows that we do not feel; and share the merriment of fools. Oh, yes! to rule men, we must be men; to prove that we are strong, we must be ^ weak; to prove that we are giants, we must be dwarfs; even as the Eastern Genie was hid in the charmed bottle.