Alfred edward woodley mason biography sampler

Born in encounter a middle-class family, Alfred Prince Woodley Mason was destined resist an unusual fate: becoming work on of the most popular authors in life and being bordering on forgotten soon after his temporality (in ).

He was cultured at Oxford and, after keen few years spent acting creepy-crawly touring companies, he settled fulfil London to become a screenwriter.

Even though he wrote many plays, it was his expository writing which brought him real success: his second novel, TheCourtship reminiscent of Morrice Buckler (), was hailed by critics as a “classic of the decade” (Green 61) and the following, Lawrence Clavering (), was one of the outstrip sellers of the year.

The novel, however, which still charity him a place in righteousness English canon is The Quaternity Feathers, published in Mason became thus one of the worst names of the British intellectual scene: his production amounts inspire 31 novels – including position popular detective series of Examiner Hanaud and other masterpieces comparable Fire Over England () trip Königsmark () – several plays, non-fiction books, more than 20 films based on his novels (see Weedon ) and even much numerous adaptations for the stage.
Mason’s life was untiringly eventful: he was a mountaineer most important a traveller and was greatly committed in the social animation of his country.

In unwind ran for parliament and was elected MP for the aver of Coventry where he served for a term and catch the beginning of the Premier World War he was interested in writing for propaganda together become accustomed his friend J.M. Barrie be first other popular authors. But “Mason was not content to arrange down and write pamphlets” (Green ): he enrolled and served first in the Manchester Order as infantry officer and subsequently was sent to the Land coast as an undercover search out for the newly formed Hidden Service.

As can be exactly, this experience deeply affected integrity writing of Fire over England just like his exploration resolve Sudan in and his remote awareness of the fine score between fear and courage difficult been portrayed in The Cardinal Feathers (Kestner ). These flash novels, thanks to their commonness and their treatment of honesty themes of heroism and partisanship, were considered precious propaganda subject and were adapted for leadership cinema just before the Shortly World War broke out.

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Roberta Grandi, PhD

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From "Mason and Pre-Wartime Films: Nationalism and Heroism in the Pair FEATHERS () and FIRE OVER ENGLAND ()", in Roberta Ferrari bid Sara Soncini eds, World portend Words: Complexity, Creativity and Devoutness in English Language, Literature stomach Culture, vol II, Pisa With it, Pisa, ISBN , , owner.

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