Beryl Bainbridge Criticism
Beryl Bainbridge (1933–2010) remains a distinctive voice in English literature, celebrated for her darkly humorous, psychologically astute narratives that explore the lives of the lower-middle class. Her stormy upbringing in working-class Liverpool often informed her fiction, which blends elements of the macabre with a metaphysical exploration of life and death. Bainbridge’s early works, such as Harriet Said and The Bottle Factory Outing, capture ordinary lives with shocking twists, a style noted by critics like Nancy Engbretsen Schaumburger for its blend of humor and somber themes.
As Bainbridge’s career progressed, she ventured into historical fiction with novels like The Birthday Boys and Every Man for Himself, dramatizing events such as Scott's Antarctic expedition and the Titanic disaster. Francine Prose highlights her unique approach, noting how Bainbridge's episodic structures emphasize themes of death and longing in works like Master Georgie (Francine Prose). Her ability to merge humor with historical events showcases her narrative versatility.
Critics such as Elisabeth Wennö have compared Bainbridge's intricate plotting and alternating perspectives to the works of Kafka and Pinter, highlighting how her novels challenge literary realism. Bainbridge's distinct narrative style, which often culminates in startling revelations, pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling.
While opinions on Bainbridge's work vary, with some finding her characters implausible, others, like Kate Saunders, argue for a reevaluation of her contributions, particularly in the United States. Her detached narrative stance and unflinching portrayal of flawed characters raise complex moral questions, making her work ripe for continued critical engagement.
Her novel A Quiet Life, praised by Julia O'Faolain for its authentic speech, captures post-war British family tensions. Yet, some, like Gilberto Perez, suggest a more confined narrative perspective might have enriched its psychological depth. Similarly, Injury Time is noted for its social satire, though Claire Tomalin critiques its contrived plot turns. Bainbridge's ability to juxtapose the mundane with the dramatic is further explored by critics like Edith Milton.
Bainbridge's Young Adolf offers a surprising narrative of Hitler in Liverpool, with Olivia Manning and Blake Morrison providing contrasting views on its effectiveness. Neal Ascherson praises its exploration of themes like helplessness, while Judith Chernaik highlights Bainbridge's vivid portrayal of early 20th-century Liverpool (Judith Chernaik).
Bainbridge's later work, such as Winter Garden, delves into more complex themes and styles, as noted by Anne Duchêne and Paul Ableman. Critics like Frank Kermode and Peter Conrad highlight its existential themes and narrative ambiguity. Valerie Brooks offers a robust defense of Bainbridge's literary significance, challenging any perception of her work as minor (Valerie Brooks).
Contents
- Principal Works
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Bainbridge, Beryl (Vol. 131)
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An Unsentimental Journey
(summary)
In the following excerpted review, Thubron contrasts Bainbridge's English Journey with J. B. Priestley's 1933 book of the same title.
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Beryl Bainbridge: The New Psychopathia
(summary)
In the following essay, Punter examines the presentation of psychological trauma in Bainbridge's novels and the struggles among her characters, particularly those who are female, to deal with both familial and cultural forces of alienation, deprivation, abuse, and rejection.
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Watson's Apology
(summary)
In the following review, Forscey offers favorable assessment of Watson's Apology.
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England, Our England
(summary)
In the following excerpted review, Ingrams offers positive assessment of Forever England.
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The Death of Tinkerbell
(summary)
In the following review, Gerrard offers tempered assessment of An Awfully Big Adventure. This is Beryl Bainbridge's first adult novel for five years, and initially it seems as if a sweet whiff of her writing for children curls round the edges of its chilly humour. The title harks back to jolly yarns and to Peter Pan's brave hopes; the setting is the raffish fifties society of weekly rep in Liverpool, where everyone is smeared with greasepaint and called “ducky”; the central character Stella—no star but assistant stage manager—is an aspiring actress who extracts drama out of the dustiest situations. The novel that Beryl Bainbridge evokes and rewrites is, inevitably, Priestley's Good Companions—a novel that has always struck me as more suitable for children than adults; and the play they rehearse is Peter Pan.
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With Poison Pen in Hand
(summary)
In the following review, Prose defends Bainbridge's work against demeaning critics and offers praise for An Awfully Big Adventure.
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An Awfully Big Adventure
(summary)
In the following review, Schaumburger offers praise for An Awfully Big Adventure, describing it as a coming-of-age novel set in post-war Liverpool that combines elements of the macabre and metaphysical, influenced by authors like Penelope Fitzgerald and Muriel Spark. The plot follows an insecure young woman navigating love and death while working with a seedy theater company, juxtaposed with her odd family life. The review highlights the unique, wry, and disturbing nature of Bainbridge's work, particularly in its exploration of themes related to life and death through the lens of the play Peter Pan.
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In Scott's Footsteps
(summary)
In the following review, Spufford offers favorable evaluation of The Birthday Boys.
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No Longer Hero or Villain
(summary)
In the following review Linklater offers praise for The Birthday Boys.
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The Birthday Boys
(summary)
In the following review, Cross offers tempered assessment of The Birthday Boys.
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Introduction: Background
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Wennö discusses Bainbridge's critical underestimation and argues that her novels, though regarded as conventional narratives, actually embody sophisticated distancing techniques that call into question the illusions and constructions of literary realism.
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In a Cold Climate
(summary)
In the following review, Drabelle offers favorable assessment of The Birthday Boys.
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Antarctic Antics
(summary)
In the following review, Krist offers favorable assessment of The Birthday Boys.
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Sculpture of Courage
(summary)
In the following review, Schaffer offers positive assessment of The Birthday Boys.
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A Writer's Dreams of Darkest Antarctica
(summary)
In the following review, Gamerman offers praise for The Birthday Boys.
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Polar Adventure
(summary)
In the following review, Freeman offers favorable assessment of The Birthday Boys, a new novel by the English author Beryl Bainbridge, which is an imagined account of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott's expedition to the South Pole in 1912, told in the voices of Scott and four men who followed him to their deaths. In each account a birthday is celebrated, or mentioned—thus the title. It's an ironic touch by a novelist noted for her droll humor. A darker, more tragic story couldn't be masquerading under a more jovial veneer.
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Awfully Small Adventures
(summary)
In the following review, Clark offers tempered evaluation of Bainbridge's Collected Stories, noting Bainbridge's prolific output and her ambivalence towards the short story format, as she reflects on her preference for longer narratives.
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Before the Deluge
(summary)
In the following review, Cooke offers favorable assessment of Every Man for Himself.
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It Was Sad When That Great Ship Went Down
(summary)
In the following review, Gardam offers positive assessment of Every Man for Himself. Beryl Bainbridge's first novel in five years is a short, taut piece of historical fiction, an account of the classic tragedy of the sinking in 1912 of the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic on her maiden voyage to America.
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It Was Sad
(summary)
In the following excerpted review, Updike discusses the Titanic disaster and Bainbridge's fictional recreation of the tragedy in Every Man for Himself.
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Titanic Resurfaces in Yet Another Novel
(summary)
In the following review, Heller offers positive assessment of Every Man for Himself.
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Ship of Fools
(summary)
In the following review, Heeger posts a positive assessment of Every Man for Himself.
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History As You Have Never Seen It Before
(summary)
In the following review, Saunders offers praise for Master Georgie, noting that Beryl Bainbridge, unlike some well-established novelists, continues to improve with her work, completing a trilogy of remarkable historical novels.
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Worth Reading Twice
(summary)
In the following review, Murtaugh offers favorable evaluation of Master Georgie.
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Expiration Dates
(summary)
In the following review, Prose gives positive evaluation of Master Georgie.
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A Unique and Haunting Vision of Wartime Chaos and Death
(summary)
In the following review, Gallagher offers favorable assessment of Master Georgie. In this short, melancholy tale, British novelist Beryl Bainbridge all but reinvents the historical genre. Gone are moments of derring-do; gone, too, any notions of simple, linear plot. In their place, Bainbridge delivers a fitful, episodic story of death, disease and unfulfilled longing.
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Pictures From an Expedition
(summary)
In the following review, Pool offers tempered praise for Master Georgie, citing shortcomings in the novel's contrived events and characterizations.
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Yes, There'll Always Be An England, or Two
(summary)
In the following review of Forever England, Lehmann-Haupt finds weakness in Bainbridge's generalizations, though interest in her autobiographic reminiscences.
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An Unsentimental Journey
(summary)
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Bainbridge, Beryl (Vol. 22)
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A Novelist Worth Knowing
(summary)
In the following essay, Karl Miller explores the themes of isolation, hostility, and the preservation of moments in Beryl Bainbridge's novels, particularly examining how her narrative style creates an engaging, albeit sometimes incoherent, storytelling that highlights complex interpersonal dynamics and occasional merciful connections amidst bleakness.
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The Russian Outing
(summary)
In the following essay, Anne Duchêne examines Beryl Bainbridge's novel Winter Garden, noting its deeper emotional and thematic layers compared to her previous works, as it explores the chilling realities of life and society's contradictions through a blend of precise humor and surreal metaphor.
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Fancy-Free
(summary)
In the following essay, Paul Ableman argues that Beryl Bainbridge's novel "Winter Garden" showcases her transition from naturalism to a more imaginative and surreal style, marked by Kafkaesque and Waughian influences, while suggesting her potential for future mastery in lyrical and humorous storytelling.
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Losing It All
(summary)
In the following essay, Peter Conrad critiques Beryl Bainbridge's novel Winter Garden as a "creepily jokey thriller," highlighting its themes of absurdism and existential confusion, wherein the protagonist undergoes a dislocating self-examination in a world rife with irrationality and political absurdity.
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The Duckworth School of Writers
(summary)
In the following essay, Frank Kermode argues that Beryl Bainbridge's novel Winter Garden challenges readers with its ambiguous narrative and symbolic complexities, requiring them to interpret an intricate plot filled with baffling events, fragmented clues, and a pervasive sense of unfocused terror reflective of modern anxieties.
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Beryl Bainbridge and Her Tenth Novel
(summary)
In the following essay, Valerie Brooks argues that Beryl Bainbridge's novel "Winter Garden" masterfully combines mystery and tension through its unique characters and events, while exploring themes of human unpredictability and spiritual monotony, ultimately challenging perceptions of Bainbridge as a minor writer.
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A Novelist Worth Knowing
(summary)
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Bainbridge, Beryl (Vol. 10)
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Getting Away with Murder
(summary)
In the following essay, Julia O'Faolain examines Beryl Bainbridge's novel "A Quiet Life," highlighting its subtle craftsmanship in portraying a post-war British family's quiet lives, marked by suppressed tensions and moral ambiguity, and lauding Bainbridge's skill in capturing authentic speech and character in a subdued yet suspenseful narrative.
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Trite Finish
(summary)
In the following essay, Claire Tomalin critiques Beryl Bainbridge's novel Injury Time for its adept social satire and sharp humor, but argues that the plot's turn towards adventure and violence feels forced and detracts from the novel's overall impact, rendering its criminals as mere devices.
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Penalty Areas
(summary)
In the following essay, James Brockway examines Beryl Bainbridge's novels, highlighting her satirical portrayal of postwar British society through vivid characterizations and comedic absurdity, while drawing parallels to Muriel Spark's work and Oscar Wilde's wit.
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Gilberto Perez
(summary)
In the following essay, Gilberto Perez critiques Beryl Bainbridge's A Quiet Life for its limited point of view, arguing that the novel's narrative is hindered by a dull adolescent protagonist and would have benefited from a first-person perspective to better capture the character's repressed nature.
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Edith Milton
(summary)
In the following essay, Edith Milton examines Beryl Bainbridge's A Quiet Life as a quintessential family novel, highlighting its satirical, understated portrayal of the characters' attempts to escape their obsessions and the subtle feminist themes indicated by Madge's pursuit of freedom beyond societal norms.
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John Mellors
(summary)
In the following essay, John Mellors critiques Beryl Bainbridge's distinctive style, emphasizing her dark humor in depicting mundane lives disrupted by dramatic events, while praising her controlled inventiveness in A Quiet Life and suggesting that Injury Time falters when too much occurs, despite its unique atmospheric world.
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Edith Milton
(summary)
In the following essay, Edith Milton examines Beryl Bainbridge's novel Injury Time as a satirical and complex dialogue between life and art, highlighting Bainbridge's use of dining disaster as a metaphor for societal and personal failures amid a backdrop of violence and decay.
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Getting Away with Murder
(summary)
- Bainbridge, Beryl (Vol. 5)
- Bainbridge, Beryl (Vol. 8)
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Bainbridge, Beryl (Vol. 18)
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Rub and Bump
(summary)
In the following essay, Gillian Wilce analyzes Beryl Bainbridge's novel Another Part of the Wood, highlighting Bainbridge's skill in juxtaposing the ordinary with the horrible, noting her acute observational prowess and the novel's themes of communication breakdown and resulting unintended tragedy.
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'Another Part of the Wood'
(summary)
In the following essay, Emma Fisher contrasts the early and revised versions of Beryl Bainbridge's Another Part of the Wood, emphasizing the improved conciseness and comedic elements of the latter while lamenting the loss of Bainbridge's intense and earnest style present in her initial works.
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Creepies
(summary)
In the following essay, John Naughton argues that Beryl Bainbridge masterfully employs restraint and a deft narrative touch in Another Part of the Wood, using a holiday setting to explore the grotesque dynamics of a group, ultimately leading to a tragic conclusion.
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'Another Part of the Wood'
(summary)
In the following essay, Patricia Craig critiques Another Part of the Wood by Beryl Bainbridge, noting that while it features Bainbridge's signature humor and character exploration, it lacks the narrative distinction of her later works and struggles to balance its depiction of selfishness and moral consequences with its tragic conclusion.
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A Tale in Two Versions
(summary)
In the following essay, Patricia Beer contends that Beryl Bainbridge's Another Part of the Wood is a masterful examination of characters who are unable to engage in meaningful self-reflection, highlighting Bainbridge's skill in illustrating a world where questions and answers are notably absent.
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Slices of Life and Death
(summary)
In the following essay, Julia O'Faolain examines Beryl Bainbridge's novel "Another Part of the Wood," highlighting the author's narrative technique of using cuts and juxtapositions to evoke both humor and tragedy, and noting Bainbridge's skill in weaving detailed observations into a cohesive and compelling narrative tapestry.
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The Price of Deceit
(summary)
In the following essay, Betty Falkenberg argues that Beryl Bainbridge's novel Another Part of the Wood meticulously examines the tragic consequences of self-deception, utilizing pared-down prose and non-naturalistic dialogue to elevate mundane interactions to a profound artistic statement.
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'Another Part of the Wood'
(summary)
In the following essay, Julian Symons praises Beryl Bainbridge as one of Britain's most inventive novelists, highlighting her unique blend of comedy and horror, her deft portrayal of gender dynamics, and her masterful use of language, while noting the limitations of her early novel Another Part of the Wood.
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Rub and Bump
(summary)
- Bainbridge, Beryl (Vol. 4)
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Bainbridge, Beryl (Vol. 14)
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Beryl Bainbridge's 'Young Adolf'
(summary)
In the following essay, Olivia Manning praises Beryl Bainbridge's novel Young Adolf as a surprising and remarkable portrayal of Adolf Hitler as an ambitious but unformed young man set against a vividly depicted background of Liverpool, though she notes the novel's lack of significant events.
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Looking Backwards
(summary)
In the following essay, Blake Morrison critiques Beryl Bainbridge's Young Adolf as a novel with an intriguing premise but ultimately disappointing execution, noting its lack of narrative tension and its occasional lapses into superficial psychological analysis, despite its comic historical approach to Adolf Hitler's early years.
- Diane Johnson
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The Damned
(summary)
In the following essay, Neal Ascherson examines Beryl Bainbridge's "Young Adolf," highlighting how the novel skillfully explores themes of helplessness, historical foreboding, and societal critique through the character of a young Hitler, and commends Bainbridge's delicate handling of sensitive subject matter to achieve profound literary impact.
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Class and Time
(summary)
In the following essay, Judith Chernaik praises Beryl Bainbridge's novel "Young Adolf" for its authentic dialogue, vivid depiction of early 20th-century Liverpool, and her natural storytelling ability, capturing both the essence of her characters and their environment.
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Beryl Bainbridge's 'Young Adolf'
(summary)
- Further Reading