Dusty Answer
Encyclopedia
Dusty Answer
is English author Rosamond Lehmann
's first novel, published in 1927. She sent it unsolicited to publishers Chatto & Windus who agreed to publish it, saying it showed 'decided quality'.. It went unnoticed on initial publication but then received an effusive review by respected critic Alfred Noyes
of The Sunday Times
who called it 'the sort of novel Keats would have written', which brought it to public attention and it became a bestseller, and according to The Guardian
a 'landmark book of the interwar period'.. Its success allowed her to leave her then husband and run off with maverick artist Wogan Phillips
whom she later married.
unlike the author though she is an only child; her only playmates being the occasional visits of the children next door; five cousins: Martin, Charlie, Roddy, Martin and Marietta. Childhood friendships develop into romantic entanglements which continue as Judith leaves home for Girton College, Cambridge
with a brief interlude when Judith falls in love with Jennifer a fellow student, scandalous for contemporary readers.
cited Dusty Answer and Alec Waugh
's The Loom of Youth as being a 'corrupting influence' on the young.. The novel triggered a literary scandal and came to be regarded as an epitome of the Zeitgeist
.
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Dusty Answer
Dusty Answer is English author Rosamond Lehmann's first novel, published in 1927. She sent it unsolicited to publishers Chatto & Windus who agreed to publish it, saying it showed 'decided quality'....
is English author Rosamond Lehmann
Rosamond Lehmann
Rosamond Nina Lehmann, CBE , was a British novelist. Her first novel, Dusty Answer , was a succès de scandale; she subsequently became established in the literary world and intimate with members of the Bloomsbury set...
's first novel, published in 1927. She sent it unsolicited to publishers Chatto & Windus who agreed to publish it, saying it showed 'decided quality'.. It went unnoticed on initial publication but then received an effusive review by respected critic Alfred Noyes
Alfred Noyes
Alfred Noyes was an English poet, best known for his ballads, "The Highwayman" and "The Barrel-Organ".-Early years:...
of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
who called it 'the sort of novel Keats would have written', which brought it to public attention and it became a bestseller, and according to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
a 'landmark book of the interwar period'.. Its success allowed her to leave her then husband and run off with maverick artist Wogan Phillips
Wogan Philipps, 2nd Baron Milford
Wogan Philipps, 2nd Baron Milford was the only member of the Communist Party of Great Britain ever to sit in the House of Lords.-Early life:...
whom she later married.
Plot introduction
The story contains many elements of the authors own childhood and upbringing; albeit idealised. Like the author the protagonist Judith Earl grew up privately educated in a large riverbank house in BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
unlike the author though she is an only child; her only playmates being the occasional visits of the children next door; five cousins: Martin, Charlie, Roddy, Martin and Marietta. Childhood friendships develop into romantic entanglements which continue as Judith leaves home for Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. It was England's first residential women's college, established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon. The full college status was only received in 1948 and marked the official admittance of women to the...
with a brief interlude when Judith falls in love with Jennifer a fellow student, scandalous for contemporary readers.
Reception
With the exception of Alfred Noyes, most contemporary reviews concentrated on what was perceived as the authors unhealthy preoccupation with sex. In her memoir The Swan in the Evening, Lehmann states 'It was discussed, and even reviewed, in certain quarters as the outpourings of a sex-maniac'. The Evening StandardEvening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
cited Dusty Answer and Alec Waugh
Alec Waugh
Alexander Raban Waugh , was a British novelist, the elder brother of the better-known Evelyn Waugh and son of Arthur Waugh, author, literary critic, and publisher...
's The Loom of Youth as being a 'corrupting influence' on the young.. The novel triggered a literary scandal and came to be regarded as an epitome of the Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.The...
.
Radio dramatisations
It has twice been dramatized for BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
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- In 1990 by Elspeth Sandys for The Monday Play.
- In 2010 by Lavinia GreenlawLavinia Greenlaw-Biography:Greenlaw was born in London into a family of doctors and scientists, but spent much of her childhood in a small village in Essex. She began her working life in publishing and arts administration before embarking upon a career as a freelance artist, critic and radio broadcaster. She lives...
for Woman's Hour DramaWoman's Hour DramaThe Woman's Hour Drama is a BBC Radio 4 Arts and Drama production. It consists of 15 minute episodes, broadcast every weekday 10.45-11.00am , repeated 7.45-8.00pm. These tend to be plays which extend over a week, or multiple of 5 episodes...
, narrated by Julia HillsJulia HillsJulia Hills is a British actress, known for being a member of the cast of the Channel 4 late-night comedy sketch show Who Dares Wins in the 1980s. She also played the character of Rona, the man-hungry neighbour, in eight series of the BBC hit sitcom 2point4 children...
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External links
- Time Magazine article from October 1927
- ‘Half-amused, Half-mocking’: Laughing at the Margins in Rosamond Lehmann’s Dusty Answer by Dr Sophie Blanch, University of SurreyUniversity of SurreyThe University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...