Angel (Virago Modern Classics)

The life and times of a famous author

This is a lovely book to read on holiday or whilst travelling. It is a light-hearted dig at authors, readers, publishers and most vitriolically, of critics. Elizabeth Taylor is a fine writer with an exquisite turn of self-deprecation and devastating humour. You have the sense Taylor is either writing about herself or is secretly enjoying a joke at another author's expense. Taylor even laughs at the pretentiousness of the art world. Be that as it may, the protagonist, Angel, is completely endearing for all her extreme self-confidence and haughty self-centredness. As an example, in one scene, Angel's fierce Staffordshire bull terrier (_) Sultan, attacks a little Yorkshire terrier (_?) and, in fact, kills it. Rather than apologising to the hapless owner, whose dog it was, Angel frostily tells the owner that she should have kept the dog under control and totters off with as much dignity and pride that she can muster (whilst taking a wrong turning).

As a newly published author, Angel fantasises creating a novel preparing dreadful humiliations and a painful death for one of her critics. What writer has not had that fantasy!? In all, it is excruciatingly funny. It is set in the early part of C20 and has an air of nostalgia and ruefulness that brings to mind the style of Jane Gardam in her recent book, _Old Filth_.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book. Elizabeth Taylor has an economically light way of writing that is at the same time both incisive and cruel, but yet charming - and thoroughly enjoyable!

Dark masterpiece... (17/18 people found this helpful)

Elizabeth Taylor is one of English literature's best kept secrets; her shrewd, observant novels of human frailty have won her a small but devoted readership and 'Angel' is held by many as their favourite of her books.

Spurred on by loneliness and desperation, the young and staunchly determined Angelica Deverell draws on her own naïve perceptions of literature to produce what she thinks are masterpieces. Refusing to believe herself to be anything less than a genius, she disregards her publisher's attempts to restrain her high-flown prose and clumsy syntax and embarks on a starry career as a romantic novelist. Her books are bestsellers - despite being rubbished by critics - and Angel's uncompromisingly high view of herself is vindicated. Her success, however, spells dissatisfaction for those who tolerate her as her behaviour grows more outrageous and inconsiderate.

Elizabeth Taylor charts Angel's spectacular rise and gradual fall with a devastating eye for ironic detail. The intentions, desires and frustrations of Angelica and those around her are conveyed with the lightest touch. The fluctuating line between Angel's astounding arrogance and her unspoken terrified hopes, would, in the hands of a lesser writer have become a farce, or at the very least a satire. Taylor sees all and judges not.

disappointing, but worth a look. (6/17 people found this helpful)

i received this book with great anticipation as i'd had it recommended as a wonderful read. however, i was a little disappointed. i found it rather dated - and speaking as one who generally prefers to read books by dead authors, that's a stern criticism! for me, certainly, it lacks the timeless quality that characterises good writing. i found the characters and situations unengaging and unbelievable, and as a result my interest waned before i got to the end of the book, and abandoned it about three-quarters of the way through. it's about a working class girl (angel) who decides to write a book, and despite being a dreadful and corny writer, becomes a bestseller of romance novels. once she is rich and successful, she abandons her working-class roots and remains deluded that she is writing something of quality, and forms relationships borne of her delusions. unfortunately none of the characters ever felt more than 2-dimensional to me, and i always felt the author's presence obtrusively. as i say, it was recommended most heartily to me, so perhaps you may enjoy it, but i found it disappointingly lacking.

Angel (Virago Modern Classics)

Elizabeth Taylor

Reader Reviews:

Witty, Amusing, Light-Hearted Parody of the Publishing World (9/11 people found this helpful)

Dark masterpiece... (17/18 people found this helpful)

disappointing, but worth a look. (6/17 people found this helpful)

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