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The Power of Delight book cover
The Power of Delight
A Lifetime in Literature
2005
First Published
4.47
Average Rating
654
Number of Pages
A survey of the range of the Oxford University professor's distinguished literary career features his treatments of classics, lesser-known works of merit, and modern writings, in a volume divided into such sections as "English Literature," "Russian Novels," and "American Poetry."
Avg Rating
4.47
Number of Ratings
17
5 STARS
59%
4 STARS
29%
3 STARS
12%
2 STARS
0%
1 STARS
0%
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Author

John Bayley
John Bayley
Author · 9 books

Professor John Bayley CBE, FBA, FRSL was a British literary critic and writer. Bayley was born in Lahore, British India, and educated at Eton, where he studied under G. W. Lyttelton, who also taught Aldous Huxley, J.B.S. Haldane, George Orwell and Cyril Connolly. After leaving Eton, he went on to take a degree at New College, Oxford. From 1974 to 1992, Bayley was Warton Professor of English at Oxford. He is also a novelist and writes literary criticism for several newspapers. He edited Henry James' The Wings of the Dove and a two-volume selection of James' short stories. From 1956 until her death in 1999, he was married to the writer Dame Iris Murdoch. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, he wrote the book Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch, which was made into the 2001 film Iris by Richard Eyre. In this film, Bayley was portrayed in his early years by Hugh Bonneville, and in his later years by Jim Broadbent, who won an Oscar for the performance. After Murdoch's death he married Audi Villers, a family friend. He was awarded the CBE in 1999.

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