The Palgrave Literary Dictionary of Byron (review)

This is a much-needed work. Ten years ago Martin Garrett produced an excellent pocket biography of Byron, George Gordon, Lord Byron (2000), and he has, it is clear from the book under review, been busy ever since, sharpening and extending his expertise. Each major poem has a lengthy entry (Don Juan gets over eight sides), as do many minor ones (rather too many) and every one of Byron's relations, friends, lovers and associates (except Michael Bruce). All the important writers who influenced Byron have entries, as do most of those he influenced. There are entries on every important place Byron visited (except Geneva), as well as entries on such refreshingly varied topics as 'Cricket' and 'Clubs', 'Whigs' and 'Westminster Abbey'. Each entry shows evidence that it has been researched afresh; few critics, scholars or biographers have not been consulted, and cross-references and references, especially to Byron's letters and journals, are liberally provided, so that making links and finding apt quotations is very easy. If you want a good example, read the entry on Greece, which would make an excellent startingpoint for anyone new to the topic (although the sentence, 'The first Greek Poems of Lord Byron, translated by G. Politis, appeared in 1867–71', might be qualified with 'it is in prose, done from a prior French version and there has not been another complete Greek translation in the 140 years since'). The entry on illustrations of Byron's work is also exemplary and told me of many of which I was unaware. Garrett's literary and theatrical analyses work well, the account of The Two Foscari being of particular note, and there are many other useful references, too numerous to mention.

There are, however, some omissions. I miss Mutz from the list of Byron's dogs (in the 'Animals' entry) and it might have been pointed out that the San Lazzaro monks are Roman Catholic and not Armenian Orthodox as they are often assumed to be. The Claire Clairmont entry might have mentioned Henry James's portrait of her in The Aspern Papers. Mrs Mule definitely deserves an entry, as does Francis Cohen. The Epilogue to The Merchant of Venice was written at the request of Hobhouse (see Hobhouse's letter to Byron of 9 February 1815). And Frederick Burwick's UCLA production of Sardanapalus deserves a mention, not just the one by Murray Biggs at Yale.

Sometimes Garrett understates to the point of imprecision. It is very cunning indeed to say that Berlioz's Harold en Italie 'takes CHP IV as its inspiration or point of departure'. Why not come completely clean and admit that it bears no relationship to the poem at all? Further under-statement is perceptible in the entry on William Bankes: it was not 'allegations of homosexuality' that caused him to fly the country, but actual arrest and the prospect of a second trial.

Some entries are over quickly: that on Byron's letters is startlingly brief–a reflection perhaps on how little is ever written about them, despite their allegedly vital importance. The Masi affray entry makes it sound as if Masi may have been pitchforked the next day ('some time later' is the phrase when he was, in fact, pitchforked within minutes) and does not mention the injuries suffered by Shelley, John Hay and Giuseppe Strauss. Dostoevsky gets no entry and neither do some other famous European writers who admired and emulated Byron, such as Schopenhauer, George Sand or Jules Verne.

But, of course, you cannot have everything. Garrett is to be congratulated on having produced a book on Byron that at once becomes indispensable. It will be my own first port of call from now on.