e-Book A Scandalous Life: The Biography of Jane Digby download

by Mary S. Lovell

ISBN: 1857024699
ISBN13: 978-1857024692
Language: English
Publisher: Fourth Estate; New edition edition (June 2, 2003)
Pages: 384
Category: Historical
Subategory: Memoris

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ePub size: 1144 kb
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Rating: 4.2
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A Scandalous Life book.

A Scandalous Life book. Bestselling biographer Mary Lovell has produced from Jane Digby’s diaries not only a sympathetic and dramatic portrait of a rare woman, but a fascinating glimpse into the centuries-old Bedouin tradition that is now almost lost.

The amazing and scandalous life of Jane Digby. Jane Digby was a fascinating 19th Century Lady who threw it all away for love. Using Digby's letters, journals, and endless household lists, as well as letters and writings of her contemporaries, biographer Mary Lovell, reconstructs Digby's extraordinary life. She tells Jane's story with warmth and sensitivity. Unlike some biographers who hesitate to speculate on the emotions and motivations of their subject, Lowell is rather fearless in this regard.

So astonishing was Jane Digby’s career to her contemporaries that no fewer than eight novels based on her character and various elements of her story were written during her lifetime – one for every decade of her life. From 1830 until her death in Damascus in 1881 her name was rarely out of the newspapers as she featured in one outrageous tale after another.

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Jane Digby led a life of glamorous scandal - mostly played out during the reign of that most prudish of rulers, Queen Victoria. Should be retitled: The Extraordinary Life of Jane Digby. Published by Thriftbooks. com User, 20 years ago. Biographies of her in the past have not been too successful as her story is obscured beneath layers of misinformation generated from the tabloid press of the time, and from well-meaning interference by such people as Richard Burton's wife.

The biography of Jane Digby, an & tale of a nineteenth-century beauty whose heart - and hormones - ruled her head. A celebrated aristocratic beauty, Jane Digby married Lord Ellenborough at seventeen. Their divorce a few years later was one of England s most scandalous at that time. In her quest for passionate fulfilment she had lovers which included an Austrian prince, King Ludvig I of Bavaria, and a Greek count whose infidelities drove her to the Orient.

Jane wanted the divorce as much as Ellenborough; she could not bear the thought of being married to any man but Felix. Like Jane he found consolation in writing poetry throughout his life, and on this occasion wrote: Poor child! Thy mother never smiled on thee

Jane wanted the divorce as much as Ellenborough; she could not bear the thought of being married to any man but Felix. Therefore she agreed not to offer any defence. A few weeks later she received another visitor, a Mr Wigram, who presented her with a â?Copy of a Bill for the Divorce to be Heard in the House of Lordsâ?. Like Jane he found consolation in writing poetry throughout his life, and on this occasion wrote: Poor child! Thy mother never smiled on thee. Nor stayed to soothe thee in thy suffering day! But thou wert all the world to me, The solace of my solitary way.

A Scandalous Life - Mary S. Lovell. Friends often ask me how I choose my subjects. The answer is that my subjects usually choose me, and so it was with Jane Digby. This book began at a cocktail party at the RAF Club in London in the spring of 1992 when Jane Digby’s name and her story came up in conversation. Who was Jane Digby, and why should she cast such an appeal?

Электронная книга "A Scandalous Life: The Biography of Jane Digby (Text only)", Mary S.

Электронная книга "A Scandalous Life: The Biography of Jane Digby (Text only)", Mary S. Эту книгу можно прочитать в Google Play Книгах на компьютере, а также на устройствах Android и iOS. Выделяйте текст, добавляйте закладки и делайте заметки, скачав книгу "A Scandalous Life: The Biography of Jane Digby (Text only)" для чтения в офлайн-режиме.

Bestselling biographer Mary Lovell has produced from Jane Digby’s diaries not only a sympathetic and dramatic portrait of a rare woman, but a fascinating glimpse into the centuries-old Bedouin tradition that is now almost lost. Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content that appeared in the original print version.

The biography of Jane Digby, an ‘enthralling tale of a nineteenth-century beauty whose heart – and hormones – ruled her head.’ Harpers and Queen

A celebrated aristocratic beauty, Jane Digby married Lord Ellenborough at seventeen. Their divorce a few years later was one of England s most scandalous at that time. In her quest for passionate fulfilment she had lovers which included an Austrian prince, King Ludvig I of Bavaria, and a Greek count whose infidelities drove her to the Orient. In Syria, she found the love of her life, a Bedouin nobleman, Sheikh Medjuel el Mezrab who was twenty years her junior.

Comments:

White gold

I adore biography - especially those of the great characters of the second half of the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries. I knew of Jane Digby el Mezrab from Irving Wallace's Nymphos and Other Maniacs which I read many years ago and also via several biographies of Sir Richard Burton. This is a well written, carefully and extensively researched book which benefited enormously from the author's good luck in uncovering much new, previously unseen and unpublished family material in Dorset and New Zealand. This, the author says in her acknowledgements, is more satisfying than the publication of the book itself. I agree, for this sort of discovery is palpably thrilling and the author's excitement shines through her narrative.
This biography reads like fiction and Jane Digby, firstly Lady Ellenborough, was one of those larger than life people who followed their own path, irrespective of the mores of their own time. Following Jane's life is a tour through the drawing rooms of Regency England, several European and Balkan courts to the deserts of Syria and Arabia. It is the story of a woman (thrice divorced) who eventually found happiness and fulfilment with a man of great nobility from an entirely different race, culture and religion. Jane's interest in the minutiae of life in Damascus in the mid 19th century makes fascinating reading and her wit and fondness for her adopted "tribe" in the desert is moving.
Highly recommended!

Fearlesssinger

I've read this book at least twice it's such an enjoyable biography about a woman ahead of her time. Jane Digby was a law unto herself. She defied society and lived her life as she pleased without caring a fig about what anyone thought. Her final destiny in the arms of her Sheikh is a wonderful story. This book reads almost like a story, despite being a biography. Jane's letters are used not just as reference for events, but for the way Jane was thinking at any given time. It truly is a wonderful read.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Uylo

Good read and an amazing life! Nonfiction books usually can't keep my attention for long...probably because I already know the outcome..but this was very well written, and I was not familiar with the person it was written about. I couldn't put it down. She really was a very courageous woman who led a crazy life. I kind of developed a love/hate type of feeling for her. Loved the adventurousness and bravery to travel to distant lands and see places that women from her day and society normally wouldn't go or see but her unfaithfulness in marriage and treatment of her children and family led me to dislike her at the same time. She seemed to be a very selfish and compulsive woman especially in her younger years.

Benn

The amazing and scandalous life of Jane Digby. This book has already been well reviewed and for good reasons, it is very good! I wasn't convinced early on I liked Jane. She was, at her worst: flighty, vapid, impetuous and disloyal. This colored her early years however and like any young person, you go through a maturation process. Jane does too but never veers too far from her best attribute, passion. Her story is intriguing on a number of levels. We learn of people and customs across Europe as well as the Middle East, while at the same time learning about this intriguing woman of accord. While her story comes to it's inevitable end, it is satisfying all the same. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventurous biography of a women who blazes her own path on her own terms. Who could resist a story that tells of a once pampered aristocratic English woman who ends up the wife of a Bedouin sheikh twenty years her junior? Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

Tam

This woman is a great writer and intellect. One of the most entertaining and well researched books I have ever read. Fascinatingly full of facts, history and human interest. KUDOS to her dedication and contribution to history. Highly recommend all her books! I cannot praise her enough.

Zieryn

I have waded through a lot of historical biography, intent on discovering the subject, but not really enjoying the journey. This one was different. It isn't exactly a 'page-turner' but a good solid, well sourced, no-nonsense portrait of a fascinating individual. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this journey - from Norfolk to London to Syria and all points in between. I was disappointed when it ended, and I don't think it too fanciful to say that I now number Jane Digby amongst my acquaintances. And oh how I wish I had really had the chance to meet her...

Rrd

Wonderful story, well written and researched. Jane Digby was a fascinating 19th Century Lady who threw it all away for love. Repeatedly. Using Digby's letters, journals, and endless household lists, as well as letters and writings of her contemporaries, biographer Mary Lovell, reconstructs Digby's extraordinary life. She tells Jane's story with warmth and sensitivity. Unlike some biographers who hesitate to speculate on the emotions and motivations of their subject, Lowell is rather fearless in this regard. In parts of Jane's story where her journal entries were destroyed, Lovell's speculations help the reader flesh out the full picture of Jane Digby. Luckily this is seldom necessary since Jane, in her many written records, was very open about her life and her feelings.

Jane Digby was a very modern woman living in 19th Century England. She was scandalous and admirable to the very end. Her affairs, marriages, and divorces were numerous. At age 50 she married a Bedouin Schiek half her age and lived happily with him to the end of her life.

I would like to have known more about the details of her finances, since she was a wealthy woman and built several huge and lavishly furnished houses. Where did her money come from, how was it invested, by whom, how did she receive her money in all those remote places. Minor questions only however. This book is a treasure on many levels.

Fascinating read about promiscuity taking place amongst the elite and famous in a century where you would have hoped was more elegant and pure. When it comes to affairs of the heart, it doesn't matter what era it might be! Interesting!