From Library Journal:
Using Dante's La Vita Nuova as a metaphor for the spiritual life, Gordon successfully analyzes Eliot's life as a process of spiritual growth evident chiefly in such works as The Four Quartets and The Family Reunion. She relies on previously unpublished letters and manuscripts to paint a significantly different portrait of Eliot than the one found in Peter Ackroyd's standard biography, T.S. Eliot : A Life ( LJ 11/15/84). Like Ackroyd, she emphasizes the destructive powers of Vivienne, Eliot's schizophrenic first wife. But she goes on to underscore the highly influential role of Eliot's American friend, Emily Hale, and the equally powerful friendship with the Englishwoman Mary Trevelyan. Well written, amply illustrated, and clearly developed, this work is strongly recommended. Daniel L. Guillory, Millikin Univ., Decatur, Ill.
Using Dante's La Vita Nuova as a metaphor for the spiritual life, Gordon successfully analyzes Eliot's life as a process of spiritual growth evident chiefly in such works as The Four Quartets and The Family Reunion. She relies on previously unpublished letters and manuscripts to paint a significantly different portrait of Eliot than the one found in Peter Ackroyd's standard biography, T.S. Eliot : A Life ( LJ 11/15/84). Like Ackroyd, she emphasizes the destructive powers of Vivienne, Eliot's schizophrenic first wife. But she goes on to underscore the highly influential role of Eliot's American friend, Emily Hale, and the equally powerful friendship with the Englishwoman Mary Trevelyan. Well written, amply illustrated, and clearly developed, this work is strongly recommended. Daniel L. Guillory, Millikin Univ., Decatur, Ill.
