MY BROTHER DENYS: A Memoir

by Nicholas Monsarrat ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 11, 1948

A memoir which bears only intermittent and incidental reference to the younger brother who died during the war, and to which this is a testament. Largely it is a record of youth, the author's more specifically than his brother's. Liverpool, where his surgeon father had a sizable practice, and the earliest memories of the nursery where Denys, youngest of four, was always the target for abuse, which conditioned him to the reserve he maintained towards his family. The progression of the years, with the high points of debuts and dances, Cambridge and the gilded era, summers on a bay overlooking the Irish Sea, boat racing, their great passion. The year 1932 brought reverses for all, as his father lost most of his money, his parents separated, Denys failed in his attempt to become a doctor, and the family broke apart. The war, with marriages for three of the four- then in 1943 further break with Denys' death. There's casual charm characteristic of Monsarrat -- some nostalgia- and a neatness of phrase which gives this a modest distinction. Limited appeal.

Pub Date: Jan. 11, 1948

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1948

Categories: NONFICTION