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Sir John Frank Kermode, FBA (29 November 1919 – 17 August 2010) was a British literary critic best known for his 1967 work '' The Sense of an Ending: Studies in the Theory of Fiction'' and for his extensive book-reviewing and editing. He was the Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at
University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...
and the
King Edward VII Professor of English Literature The King Edward VII Professorship of English Literature is one of the senior List of Professorships at the University of Cambridge, professorships in literature at the University of Cambridge, and was founded by a donation from Harold Harmsworth, Si ...
at
Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
. Kermode was known for many works of criticism, and also as editor of the popular Fontana Modern Masters series of introductions to modern thinkers. He was a regular contributor to the '' London Review of Books'' and '' The New York Review of Books''.


Early life and education

Kermode was born on the Isle of Man, the only son and elder child of John Pritchard Kermode (1894-1966) and Doris Pearl (1893-1967), née Kennedy. His father was a delivery truck driver and warehouseman for a ferry company, and his mother, a "farm girl", had been a waitress. The family was of "extremely modest means", and "struggled to maintain a respectable yet always precarious standard of life". The Kermode family- which according to Kermode's reminiscences had "some kind of Welsh connection"- had in previous generations been somewhat more comfortable financially; Kermode's grandfather was an organist, and his grandmother, who remarried as a widow, came to own an off-licence/ general store. Her new husband "staged a robbery of the shop and stole the stock and... she went bankrupt". Kermode's father, on returning from serving in the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
, finding there now to be no family business, "took temporary jobs and then got what he thought was a job that would see him through, as a storekeeper and he stayed in that for the rest of his career". Kermode's father retired after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, both he and his wife coming to be in poor health; Kermode's mother suffered from dementia, and his father was "an extreme diabetic", dying from diabetes while resident in a retirement home. Kermode, having come first in the examinations allowing attendance, was educated at Douglas High School for Boys and the University of Liverpool. He served in the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...
during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, for six years in total, much of it in
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...
.


Career

He began his academic career as a lecturer at Durham University in 1947. He later taught at the
University of Reading The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...
, then the
University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a Red brick university, red brick Russell Group research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Society of Merchant Venturers, Merchant Venturers' sc ...
. He was named Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at University College London (UCL) from 1967 to 1974. Under Kermode, the UCL English Department chaired a series of graduate seminars which broke new ground by introducing for the first time contemporary French
critical theory A critical theory is any approach to social philosophy that focuses on society and culture to reveal, critique and challenge power structures. With roots in sociology and literary criticism, it argues that social problems stem more from s ...
to Britain. Kermode was a contributor for several years to the literary and political magazine '' Encounter'' and in 1965 became co-editor. He resigned within two years, once it became clear that the magazine was funded by the CIA. In 1974, Kermode took the position of King Edward VII Professor of English Literature at Cambridge University. He resigned the post in 1982, at least in part because of the acrimonious tenure debate surrounding
Colin MacCabe Colin Myles Joseph MacCabe (born 9 February 1949) is an English academic, writer and film producer. He is currently a distinguished professor of English and film at the University of Pittsburgh.
. He then moved to
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...
, where he was Julian Clarence Levi Professor Emeritus in the Humanities. In 1975–76 he held the Norton Lectureship at
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
.


Awards and recognitions

He was knighted in 1991. A few months before Kermode's death the scholar James Shapiro described him as "the best living reader of Shakespeare anywhere, hands down". Kermode died in
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...
on 17 August 2010.


Personal life

Kermode was married twice. He was married to Maureen Eccles from 1947 to 1970. The couple had twins. His second marriage was to the American scholar Anita Van Vactor. The couple co-edited ''The Oxford Book of Letters'' (1995). In September 1996 he had boxes containing valuable books and manuscripts removed and destroyed in a dustcart by a Cambridge City Council refuse collection team (instead of the removal company employed to move them to another house). He sued CCC for £20,000; the Council denied responsibility.


Academic positions

* Lecturer, University of Durham (1947–49) * Lecturer,
University of Reading The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...
(1949–58) * John Edward Taylor Professor of English Literature,
University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The university owns and operates majo ...
(1958–65) * Winterstoke Professor of English,
University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a Red brick university, red brick Russell Group research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Society of Merchant Venturers, Merchant Venturers' sc ...
(1965–67) * Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature,
University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...
(1967–74) * Honorary Fellow,
University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...
(1996–2010) *
King Edward VII Professor of English Literature The King Edward VII Professorship of English Literature is one of the senior List of Professorships at the University of Cambridge, professorships in literature at the University of Cambridge, and was founded by a donation from Harold Harmsworth, Si ...
,
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
(1974–82) * Fellow, King's College, Cambridge (1974–87) * Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry,
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
(1977–78) * Julian Clarence Levi Professor in the Humanities,
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...
(1982–84) * Honorary Fellow, King's College, Cambridge (1988–2010)


Styles

* Mr Frank Kermode (1919–58) * Prof. Frank Kermode (1958–73) * Prof. Frank Kermode FBA (1973–91) * Prof. Sir Frank Kermode FBA (1991–2010)


Works

*''English Pastoral Poetry from the Beginnings to Marvell,'' (1952), Life, Literature and Thought Library, Harrap, , OCLC 230064261 *''The Arden Edition of the Works of William Shakespeare: The Tempest'' (1954) London: Methuen, OCLC 479707500 *''Seventeenth Century Songs, now first printed from a Bodleian manuscript'' (1956), ed. with John P. Cutts. Reading University School of Art, OCLC 185784945 *''John Donne'' (1957), London: Longmans, Green & Co., , OCLC 459757847 *''Romantic Image'' (1957), Routledge & Kegan Paul, , OCLC 459757853 *''The Living Milton: essays by various hands, collected and edited by Frank Kermode'' (1960), Routledge & Kegan Paul, OCLC 460313451 *''Wallace Stevens'' (1961), Evergreen pilot books, EP4, New York: Grove Press, , OCLC 302326 *''Puzzles and Epiphanies: essays and reviews 1958–1961'' (1962), London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, OCLC 6516698 *''Discussions of John Donne''. Edited with an introduction by Frank Kermode (1962), Boston: D. C. Heath & Co., OCLC 561198453 *''Spenser and the Allegorists'' (1962), London: Oxford University Press, OCLC 6126122 *''William Shakespeare: the final plays'' (1963), London: Longmans, Green & Co., OCLC 59684048 *''The Patience of Shakespeare'' (1964), New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, OCLC 10454934 *''The Integrity of Yeats'' (1964), with Donoghue, Denis, Jeffares, Norman, Henn, T. R., and Davie, Donald (1964), Cork: Mercier Press, , OCLC 1449245 *''Spenser: selections from the minor poems and The Faerie Queene'' (1965), London: Oxford University Press, OCLC 671410 *''On Shakespeare's Learning'' (1965), Manchester: Manchester University Press, OCLC 222028401 *''Four Centuries of Shakespearian Criticism'' (1965) Rouben Mamoulian Collection (Library of Congress) (1965), Avon library, OS2, New York: Avon Books, , OCLC 854327 *''The Humanities and the Understanding of Reality'' (1966), with Beardsley, Monroe C.,
Frye, Northrop Herman Northrop Frye (July 14, 1912 – January 23, 1991) was a Canadian literary critic and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century. Frye gained international fame with his first book, '' Fearful Symmet ...
, Bingham, Barry; Thomas B. Stroup, ed. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, OCLC 429358239 *'' The Sense of an Ending: Studies in the Theory of Fiction'' (1967; 2nd edition 2000), New York: Oxford University Press, , OCLC 42072263 *''Marvell: selected poetry'' (1962), New York: New American Library, , OCLC 716175 *''Continuities'' (1968), New York: Random House, , OCLC 166560 *''The Poems of John Donne'' (1968), Cambridge: University Printing House, OCLC 601720173 *''Shakespeare: King Lear: a casebook'' (1969), Casebook series, London: Macmillan, *''The Metaphysical poets'',(1969), Fawcett Pub. Co, OCLC 613406485 *''On Poetry and Poets by T. S. Eliot'' (1969) editor *''Modern Essays'' (1970), London: Collins, , OCLC 490969948 *''Shakespeare, Spenser, Donne'' (1971), London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, , OCLC 637793898 *''The Oxford Reader: varieties of contemporary discourse'' (1971), ed. with Poirier, Richard. (1971), New York: Oxford University Press, , OCLC 145191 *''Lawrence'' (1973), London: Fontana Modern Masters, , OCLC 628922 *''The Oxford Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages Through the 18th Century'' (1973) ed. with John Hollander, two vols. *''English Renaissance Literature, Introductory Lectures'' (1974), with Stephen Fender and Kenneth Palmer *''The Classic: literary images of permanence and change'' (1975), New York, Viking Press, , OCLC 1207405 *''Selected Prose of T. S. Eliot'' (1975), London, Faber and Faber, OCLC 299343248 *''The Genesis of Secrecy: on the interpretation of narrative'' (1979), Charles Eliot Norton lectures, Cambridge, Massachusetts; London: Harvard University Press, , OCLC 441081372 *''The Art of Telling: essays on fiction'' (1983), Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, , OCLC 9283076 *''Forms of Attention'' (1985), Chicago: University of Chicago Press, , OCLC 11518139 *''The Literary Guide to the Bible'' (1987), ed. with
Robert Alter Robert Bernard Alter (born 1935) is an American professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He published his translation of the Hebrew Bible in 2018. Biography Rober ...
, London, Collins & Sons, OCLC 248461187 *''History and Value'' (1988), Clarendon lectures and Northcliffe lectures 1987, Oxford: Clarendon Press, , OCLC 613291093 *''An Appetite for Poetry: essays in literary interpretation'' (1989), London: Collins, , OCLC 20419496 *''Poetry, Narrative, History'' (1989), Oxford: Blackwell, , OCLC 283038643 *''Andrew Marvell'' (1990), ed. with Keith Walker, Oxford: New York, Oxford University Press, OCLC 21335465 *''The Uses of Error'' (1990), London: Collins, , OCLC 246587512 *''An Unmentionable Man'' (1994), ed. with Edward Upward, London: Enitharmon Press, OCLC 407255162 *''The Oxford Book of Letters'' (1995), ed. with Anita Kermode, Oxford: Oxford University Press, OCLC 406986931 *''Not Entitled: a memoir'' (1995), New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, , OCLC 32544681 *''Stevens: collected poetry and prose'' (1997), ed. with Joan Richardson, New York: Library of America, , OCLC 470040871 *''The Mind Has Mountains: a.alvarez@lxx'' (1999), ed. with Anthony Holden, ''et al'', Cambridge: Los Poetry Press, OCLC 42309776 *''Edward Upward: a bibliography 1920–2000'' (2000), ed. with Alan Walker, London: Enitharmon Press, OCLC 49843441 *''Shakespeare's Language'' (2000), New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, , OCLC 42772306 *''Pleasing Myself: from Beowulf to Philip Roth'' (2001), London: Allen Lane, , OCLC 462323235 *''life.after.theory'' (interview) (2003), Michael Payne, John Schad, eds.London; New York: Continuum, OCLC 51567851 *''Pieces of My Mind: writings 1958–2002'' (2003) (American edition subtitled ''essays and criticism 1958–2002''), London: Allen Lane, , OCLC 52144014 *''The Age of Shakespeare'' (2004), London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, , OCLC 59277844 *''Pleasure, Change, and Canon'' (2004), with Robert Alter, The Berkeley Tanner lectures, Oxford University Press, *''The Duchess of Malfi: seven masterpieces of Jacobean drama'' (annotated edn; 2005), Modern Library, *''Concerning E. M. Forster'' (2009), Farrar, Straus and Giroux, *''Bury Place Papers: essays from the London Review of Books'' (2009), London Review of Books,


References


Further reading

*Margaret Tudeau-Clayton and Martin Warner, editors (1991), ''Addressing Frank Kermode. Essays in Criticism and Interpretation'' *Christopher J. Knight (2003), ''Uncommon Readers: Denis Donoghue, Frank Kermode, George Steiner, and the Tradition of the Common Reader''


External links


John Sutherland interviews Frank Kermode

Interviewed by Alan Macfarlane 19 February 2008 (video)

Fontana Modern Masters
or "Books, Art, and Books as Art : A Cover Story"
Frank Kermode interviewed by Christopher Tayler, 5 December 2009

Frank Kermode
interviewed by Jonathan Derbyshire in ''
New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members o ...
''
About Kermode's life and obituary
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...
'', Wednesday, 18 August 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kermode, Frank 1919 births 2010 deaths British literary critics Manx writers Alumni of the University of Liverpool Academics of Durham University Academics of the University of Reading Academics of the Victoria University of Manchester Academics of the University of Bristol Academics of University College London Harvard University faculty Columbia University faculty Fellows of King's College, Cambridge Royal Navy personnel of World War II Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Knights Bachelor Fellows of the British Academy Academics of the University of Cambridge Shakespearean scholars People educated at St Ninian's High School, Douglas