Byron Flawed Angel

A professor of humanities and psychoanalytic thought at the University of Toronto, Grosskurth's most recent books have been on psychoanalytic subjects (The Secret Ring: Freud's Inner Circle and the Politics of Psychoanalysis and Melanie Klein). Although she has previously written about such literary figures as John Addington Symonds and Leslie Stephen, she reaches further back in time to create a rather sour biography of George Gordon, Lord Byron. It's been a long time since there was a full biography of this over-examined figure, and Grosskurth does have a new emphasis due to unprecedented access to the ""Lovelace Papers"" at Bodleian Library in Oxford, which contain the letters of Byron's wife, Annabella (nee Milbanke) and half-sister, Augusta Leigh. Grosskurth takes full advantage of the material, devoting nearly a third of her biography to the four horrendous years (1812-1816) during which Byron met, reluctantly courted, married, neglected and then was dumped by Annabella. There is also a running account of Annabella's manipulation of Augusta, with whom Byron had had an affair. What it lacks is much insight into the players here. Why was Augusta so beholden to Annabella? Aside from a passing mention that she was ""goodhearted but shallow and wavering, a puppet on a string,"" Grosskurth provides little help. And Byron's mother is dismissed as a ""tactless woman"" or ""silly woman."" Nor does Grosskurth offer much literary context (Rousseau and Pope, for example, are mentioned only in passing; Tasso and Ariosto not at all). This biography would have done well as a volume focused on Byron's years in London or Byron and his marriage. Perhaps it isn't yet the time for another full biography of the man. (Apr.)