This Was a Man (Clifton Chronicles)

Product Information

This Was A Man is a fascinating character driven piece of theatre which still has relevance today.” Andrew Tomlins, West End Frame

Once described by a judge as ‘Fragrant’, Mary has stood by Jeffrey through the successes, and the many upsets in his life; the near bankruptcy, with the resultant political fallout; his years in prison and that whiff of sexual scandal. The characters yet once again excels with their striking demeanor. They are real to the very core, flawed, and extremely believable. All the characters are distinct from one another, and even the bad ones, like Lady Virginia too will make the readers fall for her constantly plotting ideas against the Cliftons, and also the weaker ones who make the story interesting. Each and every character is like a rare piece of gem that brightens up the whole story with their individual glow and aura. Lady Virginia is about to flee the country to avoid her creditors when the death of a duchess gives her another opportunity to clear her debts and finally trump the two families. Sebastian Clifton becomes chairman of Farthings Kaufman Bank after Hakim Bishara resigns for personal reasons. Sebastian and his wife Samantha's talented daughter, Jessica, is expelled from the Slade School of Fine Art, but her aunt Grace comes to her rescue. This Was a Man had its German premiere in 1927. The play was a 'big success' in Berlin, warmly received by both the audience and critics. Its run only came to an end to allow it to be replaced by another Coward play. Critic Alfred Kerr writing in the Berliner Tagblatt felt the play reflected the changes in post-war attitudes. He noted that though adultery was still taking place prior to the first world war, it was done so ' more carefully, with much more fear of being found out'. The Berlin production was produced by Forster LarrinagaHarry is working on an epic book — one that he hopes will cement his reputation. Is that Jeffrey’s intention too? “Yes,” he says. “Everything you have read in the book I have now started. I think the plot is the best idea I’ve ever had in my life.” This Was a Man is the seventh and final novel in Jeffrey Archer's Clifton Chronicles. This series follows the events of the fictitious Clifton and Barrington families, starting in the 1920s and ending in 1992. This Was a Man is a play in three acts by Noël Coward. It satirizes the adulterous affairs of English high society. Its main characters are Edward Churt, a successful modern portrait painter and his wife Carol whose "vivid personality is composed of a minimum of intellect and a maximum of sex." Carol is prone to having affairs with other men, but Edward is fully aware of this and for the most of the play does not seem to mind. It is typical of inter-war period drama due to its lightheartedness and overall sense of fun. Sebastian Clifton becomes chairman of Farthings Kaufman bank, but only after Hakim Bishara has to resign for personal reasons. Sebastian and Samantha’s talented daughter, Jessica, is expelled from the Slade School of Fine Art, but her aunt Grace comes to her rescue.

My advice to the readers who have never read anything of Jeffrey would be to read the first parts of this series before this one and your favorite thriller/drama writer would be decided then and there. This Was a Man opens with a shot being fired, but who pulled the trigger, and who lives, and who dies?All good things must come to an end and that is true with the Clifton Chronicles. This Was a Man is the seventh and final book in the series. I am left with mixed feelings. I am sad because I will miss Harry, Emma, Giles, and Sebastian. The ending was terrific and emotional but made sense and was fitting. The play has comical moments, but This Was A Man is certainly darker than Coward's other work.” Andrew Tomlins, West End Frame Meanwhile, Lady Virginia is about to flee the country to avoid her creditors when the Duchess of Hertford dies, and she sees another opportunity to clear her debts and finally trump the Cliftons and Barringtons. Levi began to write in February 1946, with a draft of what would become the final chapter recording his most recent memories of Auschwitz. According to Ian Thomson, Levi worked over the next ten months with concentrated energy and extreme facility. Levi told him that the words poured out of him "like a flood which has been dammed and suddenly rushes forth". [4] In the daytime Levi was working at a paint factory north-east of Turin. Mostly he wrote in the evenings and late into the night, although Levi said that the chapter The Canto of Ulysses was written almost entirely in a single, half-hour lunch break. [5] The first manuscript was completed in December 1946 and required considerable editorial work. His future wife, Lucia Morpurgo, helped him to shape the book, giving it a clear sense of direction. [6] Publication [ edit ] Primo Levi It has an emotional depth, a study of divorce convention and hypocrisy and deserves to be produced.” Lizzie Loveridge, CurtainUp

In January 1947, the manuscript was initially rejected by Einaudi, with the writers Cesare Pavese and Natalia Ginzburg thinking it too early after the war for such an account. [3] However Levi managed to find a smaller publisher, De Silva, [7] who printed 2,500 copies of the book, 1,500 of which were sold, mostly in Levi's hometown of Turin. In 1955, Levi signed a contract with Einaudi for a new edition, which was published in 1958. The initial printing of 2000 copies was followed by a second of the same size. [8]He ascribed the clarity of his language to the habits acquired during his training as a chemist: "My model was that of the weekly reports, a normal practice in factories: they must be concise, precise and written in a language accessible to all levels of the firm's hierarchy." [13] Adaptations [ edit ]