John Henry Newman was one of the most eminent of Victorians and an intellectual pioneer for an age of doubt and unsettlement. His teaching transformed the Victorian Church of England, yet many still want to know more of Newman's personal life. Newman's printed correspondence runs to 32 volumes, and
John Henry Newman: A Portrait in Letters offers a way through the maze.
Roderick Strange has chosen letters that illustrate not only the well-known aspects of Newman's personality, but also those in which elements that may be less familiar are on display. There are letters to family and friends, and also terse letters laced with anger and sarcasm. The portrait has not been airbrushed. This selection of letters presents a rounded picture, one in which readers will meet Newman as he really was and enjoy the pleasure of his company. As Newman himself noted, 'the true life of a man is in his letters'.
Please note, earlier versions of this edition misattributed a review quote from
Etudes newmaniennes to the
Newman Studies Journal. This has now been corrected.
Industry Reviews
No one, to my mind, has ever written a biography of Newman which quite captures him. This book does so, however, in all his paradoxical greatness. Thank you, Mgr Strange. * A.N. Wilson, The Tablet *
Highly recommended * Church of England Newspaper *
A fascinating glimpse into this extraordinary mind * Catholic Herald *
There is much pleasure in this book; and the letters could just as easily be read one or a few at a time as chapter by chapter. It will be a valuable tool for anyone wishing to get to know Newman's character better in the company of a sensitive guide. * Serenhedd James, Church Times *
informative and fascinating * Steve Craggs, Northern Echo *
Roderick Strange has performed a great service to all who would study theology in our own climate and culture. At times the letters are tantalising and one would like to see both sides of the correspondence. Nonetheless, Strange clarifies much in his ample notes, and it is of the nature of a 'life through letters' that it must be a semi-autobiographical journey. This is an excellent addition to Newman studies. * Stephen Platten, Crucible *
Newman lives again in every pafe of this remarkable collection. * Paul Deal, The New Criterion *
Reading this book leads one to discover (or rediscover) a rich and fascinating personality, and creates a desire to plunge further into certain exchanges of letters or the development of certain themes and ideas. It cannot fail to appeal to a non-specialist readership desirous of knowing Newman better, and as well as being a source of delight to specialists to inspire them to read further in the 32 volumes of the Letters and Diaries * Keith Beaumont, Etudes newmaniennes *
Great writers are not always great letter-writers: Charles Dickens was, George Eliot wasn't. John Henry Newman, one of the great Victorian prose writers, was also one of our great letter-writers, whose extant letters fill thirty-two daunting volumes, which Roderick Strange has now made accessible with this carefully chosen and excellently introduced selection. * Ian Ker *
This admirable anthology will enable many to discover Newman as a correspondent who is a brilliant stylist, a sharp--and sometimes humorous--observer of humanity, and an incisive theological teacher, who still has much to say not only to Anglicans and Catholics but to many more today. * Rt Revd Dr Geoffrey Rowell *
Those who delve into the life and thought of John Henry Newman are inevitably daunted by the sheer wealth of material available, including Newman's own voluminous writings. By means of a judicious selection of Newman's letters, set clearly against the background out of which they emerged, Roderick Strange succeeds in providing his readers with a comprehensive and nuanced portrait of the complex genius who was John Henry Newman. This work confirms Newman's own claim that "a man's life lies in his letters". * Terrence Merrigan *
These wonderful letters help us to understand how friendship was at the heart of Newman's life. We see here practical active charity and, of course, his wonderful, sensitive master of the English language. * Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. *
This admirable anthology will enable many to discover Newman as a correspondent who is a brilliant stylist, a sharp--and sometimes humorous--observer of humanity, and an incisive theological teacher, who still has much to say not only to Anglicans and Catholics but to many more today. * The Rt Revd Dr Geoffrey Rowell, Emeritus Fellow, Keble College, Oxford, Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe 2001-2013 *
the outstanding nature of the editor's achievement ... a volume which will long remain as an introduction, companion, and guide to Newman's writings. * Dermot Fenlon, The Furrow *
