Sherston trilogy
Encyclopedia
A series of books by the English poet and novelist, Siegfried Sassoon
, consisting of Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man
, Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
, and Sherston's Progress
. They are named after the protagonist, George Sherston; a young Englishman of the upper middle-class, living in the period of time directly before and during the First World War
.
The books are, in fact, 'fictionalised autobiography
', wherein the only truly fictional things are the names of the characters. Sassoon himself is represented by Sherston. A comparison of the Sherston memoirs to Sassoon's later, undiluted autobiographical trilogy (The Old Century, The Weald of Youth, and Siegfried's Journey) shows their strict similarity, and it is generally accepted that all six books comprise a composite portrait of the author and his life as a young man. (Sassoon remarked, however, that his alter-ego personified only one-fifth of his actual personality. Unlike his author, Sherston has no poetic inclinations; nor does he deal with homosexuality
- an act which was illegal at the time Sassoon was writing.)
The Sherston trilogy won high acclaim, and Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man
took the Hawthornden Prize
for Literature for 1928. The three books were printed together in one volume, The Memoirs of George Sherston, in 1937.
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English poet, author and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's...
, consisting of Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man
Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man
Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man is a novel by Siegfried Sassoon, first published in 1928 by Faber and Faber. It won both the Hawthornden Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, being immediately recognised as a classic of English literature...
, Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer is a novel by Siegfried Sassoon, first published in 1930. It is a fictionalised account of Sassoon's own life during and immediately after World War I...
, and Sherston's Progress
Sherston's Progress
Sherston's Progress is the final book of Siegfried Sassoon's semi-autobiographical trilogy. It is preceded by Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man and Memoirs of an Infantry Officer....
. They are named after the protagonist, George Sherston; a young Englishman of the upper middle-class, living in the period of time directly before and during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The books are, in fact, 'fictionalised autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
', wherein the only truly fictional things are the names of the characters. Sassoon himself is represented by Sherston. A comparison of the Sherston memoirs to Sassoon's later, undiluted autobiographical trilogy (The Old Century, The Weald of Youth, and Siegfried's Journey) shows their strict similarity, and it is generally accepted that all six books comprise a composite portrait of the author and his life as a young man. (Sassoon remarked, however, that his alter-ego personified only one-fifth of his actual personality. Unlike his author, Sherston has no poetic inclinations; nor does he deal with homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
- an act which was illegal at the time Sassoon was writing.)
The Sherston trilogy won high acclaim, and Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man
Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man
Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man is a novel by Siegfried Sassoon, first published in 1928 by Faber and Faber. It won both the Hawthornden Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, being immediately recognised as a classic of English literature...
took the Hawthornden Prize
Hawthornden Prize
The Hawthornden Prize is a British literary award that was established in 1919 by Alice Warrender. Authors are awarded on the quality of their "imaginative literature" which can be written in either poetry or prose...
for Literature for 1928. The three books were printed together in one volume, The Memoirs of George Sherston, in 1937.