A Rage to Live: A Biography of Richard and Isabel Burton

Rating:
Summary: Best so far -- but PLEASE . . . (!)
Review: (1) This is the definitive biography to date of the incredible Sir Richard and Lady Burton. No question about it.

(2) The author provides a significant amount of never-before-published information and reveals the existence of yet more --- which encourages us to think that Burton scholarship is entering a Golden Age.

(3) The author deserves a lot of credit in many different respects.

(4) What is crazy-making, therefore, is how appallingly slipshod the editing and proofreading was for this book. I gave up counting the typographical, factual, and stylistic mistakes.

(5) The editors and proofreaders of this book should be drummed out of the business. It's an absolute disgrace.

(6) 5 stars for the book anyway . . .

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding biography of a real Indiana Jones
Review: A comprehensive story of an incredible man, his controversial wife and their relationship, and a revealing glimpse of Victorian society. What a remarkably talented man! There are so many great stories-within-stories in his complex life, it is just amazing to me that most Americans regard Richard Burton the actor as the famous one. The book would benefit from more maps and more pictures, and maybe a chapter on how his work influenced others, such as T.E. Lawerence. For an entertaining fictional account of African explorations, pick up T.C. Boyle's "Water Music"

Rating:
Summary: A Rage To Live
Review: Although this is a highly detailed chronology of Burton's life and writings, it can hardly be called a critical biography. There is little real discussion of Burton's writings; each publication is merely mentioned. Over a hundred years after his death, Burton still has an impressive number of works in print, but to get a sense of his style you'll have to read him, not Lovell. One of the main focuses of the book, as the title implies, is to rehabiliatate Isabel's reputation, which fell into tatters shortly after Burton's death when she was accused of burning important papers, and admitted to burning both of the manuscripts of what was his last major work, The Scented Garden, ostensibly because it discussed homosexuality. Although Lovell tries mightily, she fails to improve Isabel's image--to me at least--beyond that of a woman who determined, correctly, that marriage to Burton would faciliate an active and interesting life for her, who was somewhat obsessive about her husband, and who guarded his memory like a junkyard dog. Still, an interesting read, because his was an interesting life.

Rating:
Summary: A Rage To Live
Review: Although this is a highly detailed chronology of Burton's life and writings, it can hardly be called a critical biography. There is little real discussion of Burton's writings; each publication is merely mentioned. Over a hundred years after his death, Burton still has an impressive number of works in print, but to get a sense of his style you'll have to read him, not Lovell. One of the main focuses of the book, as the title implies, is to rehabiliatate Isabel's reputation, which fell into tatters shortly after Burton's death when she was accused of burning important papers, and admitted to burning both of the manuscripts of what was his last major work, The Scented Garden, ostensibly because it discussed homosexuality. Although Lovell tries mightily, she fails to improve Isabel's image--to me at least--beyond that of a woman who determined, correctly, that marriage to Burton would faciliate an active and interesting life for her, who was somewhat obsessive about her husband, and who guarded his memory like a junkyard dog. Still, an interesting read, because his was an interesting life.

Rating:
Summary: The final word? No. Illuminating? Definitely.
Review: Author Lovell clearly wants to refurbish Isabel Burton's image, and she has done so. In doing so, Lovell does not appear to have let the desire to attain that goal outrun the evidence at hand. Indeed, Lovell provides the reader with a considerable body of previously unknown and/or unused material which supports her contention that Isabel Burton---long branded as some sort of religion-filled and -frenzied lunatic---was of a piece with many other Victorian women who actually helped their husband's careers immeasurably. (Consider, for example, Elizabeth Custer, wife of George Armstrong Custer.) This book is not the end-all-be-all for those interested in Richard Burton, however, for there is actually very little in the way of detail about his travels and experiences. This makes sense when the narrative hits areas Burton himself purposely left blank (his Indian years, forinstance). But this approach makes for problems in areas Burton purposely highlighted. I enjoyed the book as a book, and found Lovell a stylish writer who alerts her readers to her own biases (always welcome in a historian). But for those who have read about Burton before this could---stress on "could"---be an oddly unsatisfying piece of work. For those who come to the subject fresh, or wish to round out their understandings about this intriguing couple (hence the "could" caveat above), this is a wonderful book. It is, after all, not all about Richard (although Richard might've thought so; yet even here, Lovell makes him a good deal more rounded in his sensibilities and sensitivities than many who've earlier given him a go ). The book is about a couple, and within those parameters it is a solid and fascinating volume.

Rating:
Summary: The final word? No. Illuminating? Definitely.
Review: Author Lovell clearly wants to refurbish Isabel Burton's image, and she has done so. In doing so, Lovell does not appear to have let the desire to attain that goal outrun the evidence at hand. Indeed, Lovell provides the reader with a considerable body of previously unknown and/or unused material which supports her contention that Isabel Burton---long branded as some sort of religion-filled and -frenzied lunatic---was of a piece with many other Victorian women who actually helped their husband's careers immeasurably. (Consider, for example, Elizabeth Custer, wife of George Armstrong Custer.) This book is not the end-all-be-all for those interested in Richard Burton, however, for there is actually very little in the way of detail about his travels and experiences. This makes sense when the narrative hits areas Burton himself purposely left blank (his Indian years, forinstance). But this approach makes for problems in areas Burton purposely highlighted. I enjoyed the book as a book, and found Lovell a stylish writer who alerts her readers to her own biases (always welcome in a historian). But for those who have read about Burton before this could---stress on "could"---be an oddly unsatisfying piece of work. For those who come to the subject fresh, or wish to round out their understandings about this intriguing couple (hence the "could" caveat above), this is a wonderful book. It is, after all, not all about Richard (although Richard might've thought so; yet even here, Lovell makes him a good deal more rounded in his sensibilities and sensitivities than many who've earlier given him a go ). The book is about a couple, and within those parameters it is a solid and fascinating volume.

Rating:
Summary: An astonishing life, definitely a keeper
Review: I have very much enjoyed Lovell's previous biographys (on Jane Digby and on the Mitford family) firstly because she goes all out to uncover new material, secondly because of her meticulous detailing of all sources - especially when going against the traditional view of previous writers, and lastly because I think she makes her subjects real and therefore an incredibly good read. She certainly does that with the Burtons - necessarily so because both Isabel and Richard Burton led full and active lives (it seems almost to be underselling the incredibly contributions they made to Victorian society) and the 700 odd pages which Lovell uses to talk about them barely seems enough.

Having read the other reader reviews on this book I was struck by one person opining that there wasn't enough discussion on Burton's books in here. I would say that there is enough. This is a biography and it covers an awful lot of ground. Each of Burton's books was about his travel, and each trip is minutely detailed in which Lovell uses not just his books, but his notes, his letters, and other sources to track not just his trips, but the dynamics of his relationships with others. I also think it is fair to say that Lovell has talked about the impact his books made on society - certainly many of his books are still in print and in some cases are still used as text books in modern Eastern study as they are still considered relevant.

Both the Burton's come alive under Lovell's pen. Isabel's intense love for Burton - and his for her. Lovell is careful in discussing each of Burton's controversies in life such as his falling out with Speke, and his inability to seem to get on with other men (Rigby, Playfair, the Ambassador while as Consul in Damascus and so on). Again these petty political battles are carefully detailed and the entire growth of each situation shown. Lovell demonstrates how many of Burton's strengths were also his greatest failings. He had a huge intellect, great intellegence but little patience and diplomacy to follow his calling in the Foreign Office. His energy was generally spent on his exploring in which he was ably supported and often accompanied by his wife, Isabel. Certainly with as many enemies as Burton managed to make, coupled with his ironic sense of humour he managed to leave behind a mythology of a rather horrid nature what he did and didn't do. He was fond of telling self-deprecating stories to people - at the expense of his reputation. Lovell has sifted through these rumours and misinformation to find the real man and his exploits underneath. These are no less amazing only less voilent.

Burton was a scholar and a linguist of some note. While in India he learnt a number of the major dialects and would have been officially noted as the foremost scholar in the field had not professional jealousies prevented him from being credited with his last language exams. Certainly he passed top in his class in each of his exams. He opened up inner Africa for future European explorers making it possible for them to confirm the source of the Nile, he also was the first European to make the Haj as a disguised as a muslim - and these are just a few of the explorations he undertook.

I think Isabel comes off a lot better under Lovell's pen than I have read about her before. She has also suffered a great deal of bad press in the past - again her own deeds are obfuscated by rumour and dislike. She was not the most likeable woman in the world, but in conclusion I did feel she was the only woman who could have matched Burton, especially in that stultifying conventional world which Victorian England limited their women to inhabiting.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a long read - hard to do with a young baby handing around - but each chapter was almost like a new story. Lovell was excellent in tying each chapter in the Burton's life together into a fresh story - a fresh outlook on the Burton's altogether a satisfying read.

Rating:
Summary: A Rage to Write
Review: I want to give this book 4 stars, I truly do. Having read Lovell's truly stunning biography of Beryl Markham, I looked forward to this one. While the Markham biography, Straight on Till Morning is fresh, fascinating and fast-moving, this dual biography was in desperate need of an editor courageous enough to tell the writer half the text needed to go.

Having said that, however, I want immediately to add that once I got past the first few chapters, I DID get caught up on the utterly fabulous tale of Richard Burton's amazing life. Quite simply, there is no one in our world with whom to compare him. The redeeming value of Lovell's far too detailed description of his life is that -- at the end of the book -- you feel as if you have travelled with him.

Isabel is amazing in so many ways, but unfortunately, while Lovell goes to lengths extraordinaire to exclaim about Richard, she fails to point out just how truly remarkable and ahead of her time was Isabel.

The author is clearly enamored of the two of them and goes to great lengths to try to de-bunk the conclusions of other Burton scholars. Unfortunately, after a while her defenses become tiresome. Enough already. Enough and more than enough writing.

This is yet another example of what happens when the publishing world decides that editors are redundant. Had this mss been given the editing it deserved it could have been one of the great biographies of the past 10 years.

Rating:
Summary: A Rage to Live - Life of Isabel & Richard Burton...
Review: Mary Lovell's book about the life of Richard and Isabel Burton is a rather hefty tome which brings an interesting aspect to the fascinating life of one of the most interesting characters of the 19th Century - Captain, Sir Richard Francis Burton. Namely the interaction between Richard and his "adoring" wife, Isabel, which previous biographers have overlooked, or only mentioned in passing. According to Ms. Lovell, she managed to uncover new aspects of Richard's and Isabel's life together from previously unknown manuscripts and journals long thought destroyed. The result is a complete and thorough rendering of his life and Isabel's influence on it during their marriage and even beyond. One cannot help but admire Richard Burton, his accomplishments - he spoke 29 languages and 12 dialects fluently - his literary, scientific, ethnological, geographical, and sexual observations of those societies he happened to come into contact with. Ms. Lovell does an admirable job with a mountain of research, prodigious footnotes and exhaustive quotations. She weaves a excellent story of this enigmatic character and the woman who ministered to him till his death in 1890. My only frustration with the book came with all of the myriad quotations interspersed throughout the story. I found these oftentimes lengthy extracts interfering with the flow of the narrative. For someone not familar with the Burton's, a better introduction would be Fawn Brodie's, "The Devil Drives." It is a much easier read, although not as complete as Ms. Lovell's well constructed publication. Aloha!

Rating:
Summary: Don't Get Too Close to Your Subject
Review: This book should be read by all biographers as a warning as to what happens when an author becomes to close to their subject. Richard Burton is a fascinating man and his exploits in India, Africa, South America, and the Middle East are truly epic in some cases. His wife Isabel loved her husband, there can be no doubt. But author Lovell blunts every criticism lodged against the couple, and portays those who critize them as petty and vindictive.

For example, Burton travels through Africa with a fellow Englishman, Speke. Both men are terribly ill throughout this trek which seems to be comprised of these two being dragged through the interior of Africa by their porters. Speke regains his health somewhat to make a side trip which discovers a large lake in the interior of the country. Once they return, Speke tries to take credit for the success of the trip and Burton becomes almost an outcast because of some issues over payment of the porters. While Burton never returns to Africa, Speke makes another journey and discovers Lake Victoria which will be determined as one of the main sources of the Nile. However, Lovell points out that Speke could not prove this at the time. Speke is portrayed almost as a cruel and vindictive man, who rages against Burton for no apparent reason.

Later in his life, Burton works for the Foreign Office and becomes a consul at posts in Africa, Middle East, South America and Europe. He never seems to actually do anything besides use these jobs as a convenient way to pay his bills. He requests an inordinate amount of sick leave and then uses this time to journey to such places as Iceland to check on mining possibilities. Yet the author insist that Burton was unfairly treated by the Foreign Office.

On the subject of Isabel Burton, the author goes to extremes. It seems as if other biographers have been very critical of Isabel and her determination to nag to death everyone she knows for the sake of her husband's job promotions and in addition, she burns a manuscript at the time of his death which she considered pornographic. The author makes every excuse for Isabel and defends her as working on the orders of her husband.

Overall, it seemed like the author became so entranced with both characters that she could not abide to write anything critical of them. Yet it colors all of the information in the book to such a degree that the effect is to make both Richard and Isabel seem petty. Indeed, the whole effect of the book to me is to belitte the efforts the Richard Burton because of the pettiness that both he and his wife seemed to revel in.