Record Number: 19661

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'His Monkey Wife isn't a work of talent; it is a work of genius - or the word genius doesn't mean anything. Anyhow, it is what I know to be genius. And I feel badly that I have only read it in its third impression........I don't think I know a work that contains more wisdom and more terifying and destructive wit. The word "wit" has been debased from meaning Swift to meaning that wretched buffoon Noel Coward. But you have wit as Swift understood it.........I don't think anything is left to be said now either about men's attitude towards women, or about women's inmost thoughts. I have always liked you very much but I think you are a most terrifying young man. How on earth do you know so much! I'm overwhelmed by the scope of the book, and its most apalling insight... Honestly, as exposing the point of view of a man towards an accustomed woman, and of the secret view a woman takes of herself, I don't know anything to touch the fancy dress ball scene....'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1931 and 14 Jun 1931

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: London
specific address: 22 Pembridge Mansions, Moscow Road W2

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Edith Sitwell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

7 Sep 1887

Socio-Economic Group:

Gentry

Occupation:

Poet

Religion:

Christian

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

John Collier

Title:

His Monkey wife; or, Married to a Chimp

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

1930 London 3rd Impression

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

19661

Source:

Print

Author:

Edith Sitwell

Editor:

Richard Greene

Title:

Selected letters of Edith Sitwell

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1998

Vol:

n/a

Page:

129

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Edith Sitwell, Richard Greene (ed.), Selected letters of Edith Sitwell, (London, 1998), p. 129, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=19661, accessed: 22 November 2024

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Additional Comments:

This is an extract from a letter to the author of the Novel dated 14th Jan 1931. I have only included parts of Edith's comments on the Novel that relate to it's content. Much of the letter repeats her praise of the author as a "genius". As with many of Edith's letters her effusive praise could be construed as being directly related to the extent to which she could personally identify with their 'message'. If the book is about an old fashioned female in a modern world this is a description which could be said to suit Edith quite well. It is also worth noting that she takes the opportunity of a snipe at Noel Coward who had offended her greatly by his caricature of Facade.