Lytton Strachey was an influential English writer and critic known for his contributions to the literary movement known as the Bloomsbury Group. Here is a detailed overview:
Early Life:
Career and Literary Influence:
- Strachey is best known for his book "Eminent Victorians" (1918), which marked a departure from traditional Victorian biography with its iconoclastic approach. This work is credited with changing the art of biography by focusing on the psychological insights and personal foibles of his subjects rather than just their public achievements.
- His style was noted for its wit, irony, and skepticism towards the Victorian era's moral and intellectual complacency.
- He was a founding member of the Bloomsbury Group, a collective of intellectuals, artists, and writers who shared modernist views and lifestyles.
- Other notable works include "Queen Victoria" (1921), "Elizabeth and Essex" (1928), and "Portraits in Miniature" (1931).
Personal Life:
- Strachey was openly homosexual at a time when this was not widely accepted, leading to a life marked by personal and societal challenges.
- He had a long-term relationship with Dora Carrington, a painter, though their relationship was platonic; Carrington was deeply in love with him.
- His personal letters, which were published posthumously, offer insight into his personality, relationships, and thoughts on literature.
Death:
- Lytton Strachey died on January 21, 1932, in Hampstead, London, from stomach cancer.
Legacy:
- His work has had a lasting impact on biographical writing, emphasizing the importance of the psychological over the purely factual.
- Strachey's satirical take on Victorian figures helped pave the way for modern biography and influenced writers like Virginia Woolf.
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