Sidney And Violet, Stephen Klaidman, c. 2013

Sydney And Violet: Their Life With TS Eliot, Proust, Joyce, and the Excruciatingly Irascible Wyndham Lewis, Stephen Klaidman, c. 2013; a Amazon Vine pre-release.

This was my review at Amazon.com when I had finished about half the book:

Through Amazon Vine I got the most interesting book: a biography of Sidney and Violet Schiff -- a wealthy novelist and his incredible editor wife about which little is known except through a novel or two by Sydney Schiff and 1200 letters written to them from other writers.

I feel pretty comfortable with Virginia Woolf, but have never fully understood the Modernists. This is the first book that puts it all together in a short 206 pages, which could probably be read in one sitting.

I have no feeling or understanding for Proust, but if one has read anything of Proust (his works or biographies of him), this book provides much, much insight regarding Proust. It makes me want to go back and tackle Proust again. I tried reading his novel, but gave up; I am now energized to go back and try reading it again.

Perhaps the most interesting "character" among the modernists was Wyndham Lewis. I have read "the" biography of Lewis, and it is great to see a biography validating the thoughts I have regarding Lewis: a loser and self-promoter, but apparently incredibly bright and interesting at dinner parties.

TS Eliot also featured. The targeted audience: folks who want to add to their understanding about the Modernists. I have come away knowing more about Modernism than ever before. It's actually a good book to discuss with high school seniors who are interested in literature -- it provides a nice snapshot of Modernism, TS Eliot, Proust, and Wyndham Lewis. 

I have finished the book. I have to agree with one of the other reviewers at Amazon.com: somewhat uneven. The author tends to get bogged down in too much detail on issues not particularly relevant (?). The author did not have much material to work with and he probably had to add a bit of filler to get a full book. One wonders is this might not have been a more tightly written, very long, two-part essay for The New Yorker or some other literary journal.

But I enjoyed it. I learned a whole lot more about Marcel Proust. My feelings were confirmed regarding Wyndham Lewis: he was crazy, a psychopath, and a misanthrope.

I have a better feeling -- a warmer feeling -- for TS Eliot.

It was interesting to see James Joyce actually socialize with anyone beneath his stature, which means, in his wife's mine, I'm sure, anyone.

For hard-core Modernists it's a must-read; for everyone else, probably not. But I am very, very happy to have read it. It really fills in a lot of gaps for me. In addition, it helps me explain the Modernist movement to my granddaughters, and the various salons: Bloomsbury, Garsington, and Bayswater.