John Boynton Priestley

Priestley, John Boynton (1894-1984), British journalist, novelist, playwright, and essayist. Priestley's output was vast and varied - he wrote over one hundred novels, plays, and essays. A man of versatility, he was a patriot, cosmopolitan Yorkshireman, professional amateur, reactionary radical, and a common-sense spokesman for the ordinary man-in-the-street. Priestley refused both knighthood and peerage, but accepted in 1977 the prestigious Order of Merit from Queen Elizabeth II.

"I can't help feeling wary when I hear anything said about the masses. First you take their faces from 'em by calling 'em the masses and then you accuse 'em of not having any faces."

English writer, born in Bradford. He served in the infantry during World War I, after which he attended the University of Cambridge. A newspaper essayist and critic, he wrote on a variety of subjects and often revealed his opposition to materialism and mechanization in society.

Priestley gained international popularity with his novel The Good Companions, a tale about the adventures of a troop of traveling players. It was followed by Angel Pavement (1930). It is a social panorama of the city of London, seen largely through the eyes of the employees of the firm Twigg & Dersingham, on the first floor of No. 8, Angel Pavement. Their lives are changed after the arrival of a mysterious Mr Golspie, who assures the future of their company through imports from the Baltic. But at the end of the novel Mr Golspie swindled them all and fled; the firm faces inevitable bankruptcy very soon. The story is set against the background of the Great Depression.

Whereas his novels were traditional in form, his plays, beginning with Dangerous Corner (1932), were experimental, particularly in their treatment of time and of past and future events. Priestley's major plays include When We Are Married (1938), An Inspector Calls (1946), and Dragon's Mouth (1952); on the latter, he collaborated with his wife, the English archaeologist and writer Jacquetta Hawkes. Later books include the autobiographical Margin Released (1962), Man and Time (1964), Essays of Two Decades (1968), The Edwardians (1970), and The English (1973). Priestley was director of the influential journal New Statesman and Nation.

After the outbreak of World War II Priestley gained fame as 'the voice of the common people'. He was a patriotic radio broadcaster, second only to Churchill. At the early stage of the Cold War, he became known for his support for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. In 1946-47 he was a U.K. delegate to UNESCO conferences.

During his career Priestley published over 120 books, usually light and optimistic in their tone. His prolific production continued nearly sixty years. From the age of 70 to 84 he produced 21 books. He died on August 14, 1984.

Lecture 10

ENGLISH LITERATURE AFTER WORLD WAR II

ANGRY YOUNG MEN

Questions:

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