William Morris: A Life for Our Time
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While there have been many fine books written about William Morris & his work, with many more undoubtedly to come, this is definitely THE biography of the man. In Fiona McCarthy he has found an intelligent, sensitive biographer who clearly admires & respects the man, but not to such a degree that she loses her objectivity & analytical powers. Everything is in balance here, and the book has the narrative quality of a good novel -- something Morris would have appreciated.What strikes me in particular is McCarthy's care in delving into Morris' psyche & private life. While there's plenty to be gleaned from both his writing & the memoirs of others, she often tells us that she won't speculate on this or that particular topic because she simply doesn't have enough information to deliver a reasonably probable answer. The anguished tangle of Morris' marriage & friendships is illuminated as much as possible, but some of it remains hidden by Victorian propriety even now. To her credit, McCarthy leaves it there without resorting to wild hunches & pathography. Suffice it to say that Morris' psyche was obviously as rich & complicated as his many artistic talents were diverse.Still, there is much to say about this enormously energetic & driven man, and McCarthy does her best to convey as much as she can in a lucid, unencumbered fashion. There's just so much to deal with! Yet she invariably makes everything clear for the reader -- timelines, influences, relationships, artistic responses -- and all of it in context of Morris' time & place in history. Further, she offers a sympathetic & keen-eyed appraisal of his work as a writer, a Socialist, and a wide range of artistic pursuits. Some of his frequently disparaged work is shown to be more than popular & critical opinion would have it; at the same time, she unerringly points out its flaws & weaknesses. Without over-praising Morris as a creative artist, she does take him more seriously than others have in the past, and invites us to see that as well. The poetry comes out better than expected, however uneven; and the late romances reveal much of his worldview, filtered through fine storytelling.Lastly, Morris is sometimes regarded as well-meaning but naive in his attitudes toward Socialism & the living of a meaningful life. McCarthy remedies that short-sighted verdict by thoroughly examining the growth of his worldview, finding in him a man very much aware of his own times & anticipating the increased crassness & emptiness of modern society. In this he remains a relevant figure, with much to say about our contemporary consumerist world, so driven by greed, power & sheer ugliness as the expense of the human spirit.A book well worth several readings -- most highly recommended!
