Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Quest for Corvo by A. J. A. Symons - Available

The Quest for Corvo

An Experiment in Biography

by A. J. A. Symons
Rupert Degas
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

A.J.A. Symons discovered Frederick Rolfe's Hadrian the Seventh in 1925 and became consumed with fascination for its eccentric author, aka 'Baron Corvo'. His 'quest' takes the form of an irresistible detective story, the twists and turns of his investigation into Rolfe's unfortunate life resulting in a groundbreaking form of biography that reveals much about both men. It paints a tragi-comic portrait of a prickly, paranoid, talented Englishman who failed at becoming a Catholic priest and led a profligate lifestyle in Venice; a charmer with a sharp wit, a vituperative tongue and a talent for self-destruction. The process and the subject are as fascinating as each other, and this 'experiment' continues to stand out nearly a century after it was published.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 9, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781781984758
      • File size: 309306 KB
      • Duration: 10:44:23

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Rupert Degas tackles this offbeat "experiment in biography" with conspicuous gusto and the enthusiasm of a man given an assignment he feels born to perform. In 1925, British author Symons was introduced to a previously unknown novel, Frederick Rolfe's HADRIAN THE SEVENTH. This eccentric work led Symons to pursue its even more eccentric author, who styled himself as "Baron Corvo" and remains justifiably unread. Degas performs this landmark genre buster in an expressive and robust British bark that highlights Symons's meticulous research and fertile prose. Symons sees Rolfe as "a defeated man of genius," and although interesting, the baron is everything a failed writer--and one persistently in debt--can be. That subject is somewhat dreary, but narrative and narrator are highly colorful and memorably portrayed. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading