Samuel Butler by Philip Henderson

Samuel Butler by Philip Henderson

Originally published in 1953, this comprehensive assessment of Samuel Butler was undertaken with the approval and co-operation of Butler’s trustees and incorporated much hitherto unpublished material. Family letters made available threw much fresh light on Butler’s relations with his father, who played such a crucial part in his development and who appears as such a forbidding figure in The Way of All Flesh. As man and author Butler was one of the most brilliant, unconventional and challenging figures of the Victorian Age, and this book shows why.

Original Reviews of Samuel Butler:

‘…an admirable portrait of Butler the main and draws on unpublished material to describe the uncomfortable shaping of his characterThe picture he gives of this extraordinary Victorian is a fascinating one…’ The Financial Times

‘…a succinct biography…which will be a useful guide to those who are hitherto unacquainted with this bewildering personality.’ The Observer

Philip Henderson (1906–1977) was a British novelist and literary critic.