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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
Greer discusses The Getting of Wisdom in relation to the themes expressed in Maurice Guest, Richardson's preceding novel, and identifies many parallels in the tensions between characters, ranging from sexual to artistic tension. Greer praises The Getting of Wisdom at the expense of Richard Mahony because the former is less ambitious and presents a subject that is "like the rest of us, ordinary, and therefore deeply important".
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Maurice the Obscure: Provincial Expatriate in Search of a Voice
1985
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Meridian , October vol. 4 no. 2 1985; (p. 99-111) European Relations : Essays for Helen Watson-Williams 1985; (p. 115-130) The Lyre in the Pawnshop : Essays on Literature and Survival 1974-1984 1986; (p. 148-166) Zwicky investigates the advantages and disadvantages of exile for the creative process. Comparing Maurice Guest with Hardy's Jude, The Obscure, Zwicky examines their modern form and content, concluding that Richardson was unable to assert a distinct voice because she was an exile by temperament. Hardy's poetic voice can express "alienation and metaphysical isolation simultaneously" because "its identity [is] assured by history and a firm sense of its origins". Zwicky concludes that Richardson "repressed the lyricism that might have flowered in musical composition" but acknowledges that it surfaces in "arresting bursts" in Maurice Guest through Richardson's depiction of Louise.
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Maurice the Obscure: Provincial Expatriate in Search of a Voice
1985
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Meridian , October vol. 4 no. 2 1985; (p. 99-111) European Relations : Essays for Helen Watson-Williams 1985; (p. 115-130) The Lyre in the Pawnshop : Essays on Literature and Survival 1974-1984 1986; (p. 148-166) Zwicky investigates the advantages and disadvantages of exile for the creative process. Comparing Maurice Guest with Hardy's Jude, The Obscure, Zwicky examines their modern form and content, concluding that Richardson was unable to assert a distinct voice because she was an exile by temperament. Hardy's poetic voice can express "alienation and metaphysical isolation simultaneously" because "its identity [is] assured by history and a firm sense of its origins". Zwicky concludes that Richardson "repressed the lyricism that might have flowered in musical composition" but acknowledges that it surfaces in "arresting bursts" in Maurice Guest through Richardson's depiction of Louise.
Last amended 4 May 2017 13:36:01
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The Getting of Wisdom : Introduction
The Getting of Wisdom : Introduction
The Getting of Wisdom : Introduction
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