Doom (Definitive revised editions of the works of William Gerhardie) - Hardcover

Gerhardie, William Alexander

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0356045943 ISBN 13: 9780356045948

Publisher: Macdonald & Co, 1974

Synopsis

First published under the title Jazz and Jasper in 1928, Doom was praised by Arnold Bennett for its 'wild and brilliant originality' and is remembered as William Gerhardie's wittiest and strangest novel. It is the story of Frank Dickin, an impoverished young novelist, and his involvement with an eccentric family of Russian emigres - in particular, their beautiful daughter Eva - and with an all-powerful newspaper magnate, Lord Ottercove (based on Gerhardie's friend Lord Beaverbrook), who takes Dickin on as a lost cause. This irrepressible comic mixture also involves a mad English lord who is bent on destroying the world - and, with an outrageous sleight of hand that only Gerhardie could manage, the novel slowly slips from social comedy toward apocalypse. 'A master of the ridiculous ... Doom seems like nothing else in the language.' Michael Holroyd 'I have talent, but he has genius.' Evelyn Waugh 'He is a comic writer of genius ... but his art is profoundly serious.' C. P. Snow

About this title

From the Publisher

Despite its bleak title, Doom is William Gerhardie¹s most wildly funny novel. It is the story of Frank Dickin, an impoverished young novelist, and his involvement, on the one hand, with an eccentric family of Russian émigrés ‹ in particular, their beautiful daughter Eva ‹ and, on the other, with an all-powerful newspaper magnate, Lord Ottercove, who takes Dickin on as a lost cause. This irrepressible comic potpourri also involves a mad English lord who is bent on destroying the world ‹ and, with an outrageous sleight of hand that only Gerhardie could manage, the novel slowly slips from social comedy toward apocalypse.

About the Author

William Alexander Gerhardie was born in St Petersburg, Russia, in 1895. As a young man he went to London and, when the First World War broke out, joined the army. He was first sent to Russia and later travelled the world before beginning to write. Futility (1922), his first novel, was sponsored by Katherine Mansfield, and other notable works of his include The Polyglots (1925) and Of Mortal Love (1936). Gerhardie's writing was acclaimed as an influence on many of his peers, including Anthony Powell, H. G. Wells, Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene and Olivia Manning. He died in London in 1977.

Edition details

• Publisher: Macdonald & Co
• Publication date: 1974
• ISBN 10: 0356045943
• ISBN 13: 9780356045948
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 275