The Quest for Corvo

What had happened to the lost manuscripts, what train of chances took Rolfe to his death in Venice? The Quest continued. In this biographical experiment, A.J.A. Symons becomes the reader’s guide as he investigates Frederick Rolfe, who styled himself Baron Corvo, an artist, a rejected priesthood candidate and author of autobiographical fictions. The book portrays an intricate tangle of talent, thwarted ambition and self-destruction, offering a beguiling portrait of a life lived on the edge of invention and notoriety.

Symons is drawn to a mysterious unknown manuscript and to the enigmatic author behind it, tracing how Rolfe’s restless imagination and personal turmoil intersected with his literary ambitions. The narrative blends biographical inquiry with a meditation on obsession, authorship and the demands of art, presenting a nuanced portrait rather than a conventional biography. The result is a compelling study of a man who pursued his own myth while navigating the shadows cast by his controversial life.

Kenmerken

• A.J.A. Symons als auteur en verteller
• Onderwerp: Frederick Rolfe, alias Baron Corvo
• Verkenning van talent, ambitie en zelfdestructie
• Gevormd als experiment in biografie
• Penguin Modern Classics editie
• 272 pagina’s, paperback