George Augustus Moore (24 February 1852 – 21 January 1933) was an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
novelist,
short-story writer
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
, poet,
art critic
An art critic is a person who is specialized in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. Their written critiques or reviews contribute to art criticism and they are published in newspapers, magazines, books, exhibition brochures, and catalogue ...
, memoirist and dramatist. Moore came from a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
landed family who lived at
Moore Hall in
Carra, County Mayo
Carra () is one of the nine baronies of County Mayo in Ireland, located in the mid-south area of the county. It is sometimes known as Burriscarra. It incorporates the town of Castlebar, the villages of Tourmakeady, Belcarra and Turlough, wher ...
. He originally wanted to be a painter, and studied art in Paris during the 1870s. There, he befriended many of the leading French artists and writers of the day.
As a
naturalistic writer, he was amongst the first English-language authors to absorb the lessons of the French
realists, and was particularly influenced by the works of
Émile Zola
Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...
. His writings influenced
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...
, according to the literary critic and biographer
Richard Ellmann
Richard David Ellmann, FBA (March 15, 1918 – May 13, 1987) was an American literary critic and biographer of the Irish writers James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and William Butler Yeats. He won the U.S. National Book Award for Nonfiction for ''James ...
,
[Gilcher, Edwin (September 2004; online edn, May 2006]
"Moore, George Augustus (1852–1933)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, , retrieved 7 January 2008 (Subscription required) and, although Moore's work is sometimes seen as outside the mainstream of both Irish and British literature, he is as often regarded as the first great modern Irish novelist.
Life
Family origins
George Moore's family had lived in Moore Hall, near
Lough Carra,
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
, for almost a century. The house was built by his paternal great-grandfather—also called George Moore—who had made his fortune as a wine merchant in
Alicante
Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in t ...
. The novelist's grandfather—another George—was a friend of
Maria Edgeworth
Maria Edgeworth (1 January 1768 – 22 May 1849) was a prolific Anglo-Irish novelist of adults' and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and was a significant figure in the evolution of the n ...
, and author of ''An Historical Memoir of the French Revolution''. His great-uncle,
John Moore, was president of the Province of
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
in the short-lived
Irish Republic of 1798 during the
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influence ...
.
George Moore's father,
George Henry Moore, sold his stable and hunting interests during the
Great Irish Famine
The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a ...
, and from 1847 to 1857 served as an Independent Member of Parliament (MP) for
Mayo Mayo often refers to:
* Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo"
* Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Mayo may also refer to:
Places
Antarctica
* Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land
Australia
* Division of Mayo, an Aust ...
in the
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...
.
[Jeffares (1965), p. 7.] George Henry was renowned as a fair landlord, fought to uphold the rights of tenants, and was a founder of the
Catholic Defence Association The Catholic Defence Association was an organisation founded in 1851 to defend the rights of Irish Roman Catholic tenant farmers. The first meeting held at the Mechanics' Institute, Dublin was chaired by Lord Gormanston, with MPs William Keogh, ...
. His estate consisted of 5000 ha (50 km
2) in Mayo, with a further 40 ha in
County Roscommon
"Steadfast Irish heart"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Connacht
, subdi ...
.
Early life
![Moore Hall 22nd Aug 2010 003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Moore_Hall_22nd_Aug_2010_003.JPG)
Moore was born in Moore Hall in 1852. As a child, he enjoyed the novels of
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...
, which his father read to him. He spent a good deal of time outdoors with his brother,
Maurice George Moore
Maurice George Moore, (10 August 1854 – 8 September 1939) was an Irish author, soldier and politician.
Early life
Moore was the second of four sons born to George Henry Moore of Moore Hall, County Mayo, and Mary Blake of Ballinafad, County ...
, and also became friendly with the young Willie and
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
, who spent their summer holidays at nearby
Moytura
''Cath Maige Tuired'' (modern spelling: ''Cath Maighe Tuireadh''; ) is the name of two saga texts of the Mythological Cycle of Irish mythology. It refers to two separate battles in Connacht: the first in the territory of Conmhaícne Cúile Tuir ...
. Oscar was to later quip of Moore: "He conducts his education in public".
His father had again turned his attention to horse breeding and in 1861 brought his champion horse, ''
Croagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick (), nicknamed 'the Reek', is a mountain with a height of and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Ireland. The mountain has a pyramid-shaped peak and overlooks Clew Bay, rising above the village of Murrisk, several mil ...
'', to England for a successful racing season, together with his wife and nine-year-old son. For a while, George was left at Cliff's stables until his father decided to send him to his alma mater facilitated by his winnings. Moore's formal education started at
St. Mary's College, Oscott, a Catholic boarding school near
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, where he was the youngest of 150 boys. He spent all of 1864 at home, having contracted a lung infection brought about by a breakdown in his health. His academic performance was poor while he was hungry and unhappy. In January 1865, he returned to St. Mary's College with his brother Maurice, where he refused to study as instructed and spent time reading novels and poems. That December the principal, Spencer Northcote, wrote a report that: "he hardly knew what to say about George." By the summer of 1867, he was expelled, for (in his own words) 'idleness and general worthlessness', and returned to Mayo. His father once remarked, about George and his brother Maurice: "I fear those two redheaded boys are stupid", an observation which proved untrue for all four sons.
[Farrow (1978), pp. 11–14.]
London and Paris
![Edouard Manet George Moore Cafe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Edouard_Manet_George_Moore_Cafe.jpg)
In 1868, Moore's father was again elected MP for Mayo and the family moved to London the following year. Here, Moore senior tried, unsuccessfully, to have his son follow a career in the military though, prior to this, he attended the
School of Art
An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-second ...
in the
South Kensington Museum where his achievements were no better. He was freed from any burden of education when his father died in 1870.
Moore, though still a minor, inherited the family estate that generated a yearly income of £3,596. He handed the estate over to his brother Maurice to manage and in 1873, on attaining his majority, moved to Paris to study art. It took him several attempts to find an artist who would accept him as a pupil.
Rodolphe Julian
Pierre Louis Rodolphe Julian (13 June 1839 – 2 February 1907) born in Lapalud southeastern France was a French painter, etcher and professor, founder and director of the Académie Julian in Paris. The writer André Corthis (1882–1952), winner ...
, who had previously been a shepherd and circus masked man, took him on for 40 francs a month. At
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907) that was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number a ...
he met
Louis Welden Hawkins who became Moore's flatmate and whose trait, as a failed artist, shows up in Moore's own characters.
He met many of the key artists and writers of the time, including
Pissarro
Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro ( , ; 10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but then in the Danish West Indies). H ...
,
Degas
Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings.
Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is espec ...
,
Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "Re ...
,
Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, , ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of impressionist painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During ...
,
Daudet Daudet is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include:
People with the surname
* Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897), French novelist
* Célimène Daudet (born 1977), French classical pianist
* Ernest Daudet (1837–1921), French jou ...
,
Mallarmé,
Turgenev
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...
and, above all,
Zola Zola may refer to:
People
* Zola (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* Zola (musician) (born 1977), South African entertainer
* Zola (rapper), French rapper
* Émile Zola, a major nineteenth-century French writer
Plac ...
, who was to prove an influential figure in Moore's subsequent development as a writer.
While still in Paris his first book, a collection of lyric poems called ''The Flowers of Passion'', was self-published in 1877. The poems were derivative, and were maliciously reviewed by the critics who were offended by some of the depravities in store for moralistic readers. The book was withdrawn by Moore.
[Jeffares (1965), pp. 8–9.] He was forced to return to Ireland in 1880 to raise £3,000 to pay debts incurred on the family estate, owing to his tenants refusing to pay their rent and the drop in agricultural prices.
During his time back in Mayo, he gained a reputation as a fair landlord, continuing the family tradition of not evicting tenants and refusing to carry firearms when travelling round the estate. While in Ireland, he decided to abandon art and move to London to become a professional writer. There he published his second poetry collection, ''Pagan Poems'', in 1881. These early poems reflect his interest in
French symbolism
Symbolism was a late 19th-century art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts seeking to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realis ...
and are now almost entirely neglected. In 1886 Moore published ''
Confessions of a Young Man
''The Confessions of a Young Man'' (1886 in French; 1888 in English) is a memoir by Irish novelist George Moore who spent about 15 years in his teens and 20s in Paris and later London as a struggling artist. The book is notable as being one of t ...
'', a lively memoir about his 20s spent in Paris and London among bohemian artists.
Arnold Bennett
Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist. He wrote prolifically: between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboratio ...
. ''Fame and fiction''. G. Richards, 1901
Page 236+
/ref> It contains a substantial amount of literary criticism for which it has received a fair amount of praise,[ for instance ]The Modern Library
The Modern Library is an American book publishing imprint and formerly the parent company of Random House. Founded in 1917 by Albert Boni and Horace Liveright as an imprint of their publishing company Boni & Liveright, Modern Library became a ...
chose it in 1917 to be included in the series as "one of the most significant documents of the passionate revolt of English literature against the Victorian tradition."[Quote by ]Floyd Dell
Floyd James Dell (June 28, 1887 – July 23, 1969) was an American newspaper and magazine editor, literary critic, novelist, playwright, and poet. Dell has been called "one of the most flamboyant, versatile and influential American Men of Letters ...
in "Introduction" to ''Confessions of a Young Man'' by George Moore. The Modern Library
The Modern Library is an American book publishing imprint and formerly the parent company of Random House. Founded in 1917 by Albert Boni and Horace Liveright as an imprint of their publishing company Boni & Liveright, Modern Library became a ...
, 1917.
Controversy in England
During the 1880s, Moore began work on a series of novels in a realist style. His first novel, ''A Modern Lover'' (1883) was a three-volume work, as preferred by the circulating libraries A circulating library (also known as lending libraries and rental libraries) lent books to subscribers, and was first and foremost a business venture. The intention was to profit from lending books to the public for a fee.
Overview
Circulating li ...
, and deals with the art scene of the 1870s and 1880s in which many characters are identifiably real. The circulating libraries in England banned the book because of its explicit portrayal of the amorous pursuits of its hero. At this time the British circulating libraries, such as Mudie's Select Library, controlled the market for fiction and the public, who paid fees to borrow their books, expected them to guarantee the morality of the novels available. His next book, a novel in the realist style, ''A Mummers Wife'' (1885) was also regarded as unsuitable by Mudie's and W H Smith
WHSmith (also written WH Smith, and known colloquially as Smith's and formerly as W. H. Smith & Son) is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, England, which operates a chain of high street, railway station, airport, port, hospital and m ...
refused to stock it on their news-stalls. Despite this, during its first year of publication, the book was in its fourteenth edition mainly because of the publicity stirred up by its opponents. The French newspaper '' Le Voltaire'' published it in serial form as ''La Femme du cabotin'' in July–October 1886. His next novel ''A Drama in Muslin'' was again banned by Mudie's and Smith's. In response Moore declared war on the circulating libraries by publishing two provocative pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a hard cover or binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a ''leaflet'' or it may consist of a ...
s; ''Literature at Nurse'' and ''Circulating Morals''. In these, he complained that the libraries profit from salacious popular fiction while refusing to stock serious literary fiction.
Moore's publisher Henry Vizetelly
Henry Richard Vizetelly (30 July 18201 January 1894) was a British publisher and writer. He started the publications ''Pictorial Times'' and ''Illustrated Times'', wrote several books while working in Paris and Berlin as correspondent for the ''I ...
began to issue unabridged
An abridgement (or abridgment) is a condensing or reduction of a book or other creative work into a shorter form while maintaining the unity of the source. The abridgement can be true to the original work in terms of mood and tone (literature), t ...
mass-market translations of French realist novels that endangered the moral and commercial influence of the circulating libraries around this time. In 1888, the circulating libraries fought back by encouraging the House of Commons to implement laws to stop "the rapid spread of demoralising literature in this country". However, Vizetelly was brought to court by the National Vigilance Association
The National Vigilance Association was a British society established in August 1885 "for the enforcement and improvement of the laws for the repression of criminal vice and public immorality".Rachael Attwood, "Stopping the Traffic: the National Vig ...
(NVA) for "obscene libel". The charge arose from the publication of the English translation of Zola's ''La Terre
''La Terre'' (''The Earth'') is a novel by Émile Zola, published in 1887. It is the fifteenth novel in Zola's '' Rougon-Macquart'' series. The action takes place in a rural community in the Beauce, an area in central France west of Paris. The n ...
''. A second case was brought the following year to force implementation of the original judgement and to remove all of Zola's works. This led to the 70-year-old publisher becoming involved in the literary cause. Throughout Moore stayed loyal to Zola's publisher, and on 22 September 1888, about a month before the trial, wrote a letter that appeared in the ''St. James Gazette''. In it Moore suggested that it was improper for Vizetelly's fate to be determined by a jury of ''twelve tradesmen'', explaining that it would be preferable to be judged by three novelists. Moore pointed out that the NVA could make the same claims against such books as ''Madame Bovary
''Madame Bovary'' (; ), originally published as ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' ( ), is a novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities ...
'' and Gautier's ''Mademoiselle de Maupin'', as their morals are equivalent to Zola's, though their literary merits might differ.
Because of his willingness to tackle such issues as prostitution, extramarital sex and lesbianism, Moore's novels were initially met with disapproval. However, as the public's taste for realist fiction grew, this subsided. Moore began to find success as an art critic with the publication of books such as ''Impressions and Opinions'' (1891) and ''Modern Painting'' (1893)—which was the first significant attempt to introduce the Impressionist
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
s to an English audience. By this time Moore was first able to live from the proceeds of his literary work.
Other realist novels by Moore from this period include ''A Drama in Muslin'' (1886), a satiric story of the marriage trade in Anglo-Irish society that hints at same-sex relationships among the unmarried daughters of the gentry, and ''Esther Waters
''Esther Waters'' is a novel by George Moore first published in 1894.
Overview
Set in England from the early 1870s onward, the novel is about a pious young woman from a poor working-class family who, while working as a kitchen maid, is seduce ...
'' (1894), the story of an unmarried housemaid who becomes pregnant and is abandoned by her footman lover. Both of these books have remained almost constantly in print since their first publication. His 1887 novel ''A Mere Accident'' is an attempt to merge his symbolist and realist influences. He also published a collection of short stories: ''Celibates'' (1895).
Dublin and the Celtic Revival
In 1901, Moore returned to Ireland to live in Dublin at the suggestion of his cousin and friend, Edward Martyn
Edward Martyn (30 January 1859 – 5 December 1923) was an Irish playwright and early republican political and cultural activist, as the first president of Sinn Féin from 1905–08.
Early life
Martyn was the elder son of John Martyn of Tullira ...
. Martyn had been involved in Ireland's cultural and dramatic movements for some years, and was working with Lady Gregory
Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (''née'' Persse; 15 March 1852 – 22 May 1932) was an Irish dramatist, folklorist and theatre manager. With William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, ...
and William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
to establish the Irish Literary Theatre
W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn published a "Manifesto for Irish Literary Theatre" in 1897, in which they proclaimed their intention of establishing a national theatre for Ireland.
The Irish Literary Theatre was founded by Yeats, Lady ...
. Moore soon became deeply involved in this project and in the broader Irish Literary Revival
The Irish Literary Revival (also called the Irish Literary Renaissance, nicknamed the Celtic Twilight) was a flowering of Irish literary talent in the late 19th and early 20th century. It includes works of poetry, music, art, and literature.
O ...
. He had already written a play, ''The Strike at Arlingford'' (1893), which was produced by the Independent Theatre. The play was the result of a challenge between Moore and George Robert Sims
George Robert Sims (2 September 1847 – 4 September 1922) was an English journalist, poet, dramatist, novelist and ''bon vivant''.
Sims began writing lively humour and satiric pieces for ''Fun'' magazine and ''The Referee'', but he was soon co ...
over Moore's criticism of all contemporary playwrights in ''Impressions and Opinions''. Moore won the one hundred pound bet made by Sims for a stall to witness an "unconventional" play by Moore, though Moore insisted the word "unconventional" be excised.
The Irish Literary Theatre staged his satirical comedy ''The Bending of the Bough'' (1900), adapted from Martyn's ''The Tale of a Town'', originally rejected by the theatre but unselfishly given to Moore for revision, and Martyn's ''Maeve''. Staged by the company which would later become the Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...
, ''The Bending of the Bough'' was a historically important play and introduced realism into Irish literature. Lady Gregory wrote that it: "hits impartially all round".[Morris (1917), pp. 114–115.] The play was a satire on Irish political life, and as it was unexpectedly nationalist, was considered the first to deal with a vital question that had appeared in Irish life. '' Diarmuid and Grania'', a poetic play in prose co-written with Yeats in 1901, was also staged by the theatre, with incidental music by Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...
. After this production Moore took up pamphleteer
Pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (and therefore inexpensive) booklets intended for wide circulation.
Context
Pamphlets were used to broadcast the writer's opinions: to articulate a poli ...
ing on behalf of the Abbey, and parted company with the dramatic movement.
Moore published two books of prose fiction set in Ireland around this time; a second book of short stories, ''The Untilled Field'' (1903) and a novel, ''The Lake'' (1905). ''The Untilled Field'' deal with themes of clerical interference in the daily lives of the Irish peasantry, and of the issue of emigration. The stories were originally written for translation into Irish, to serve as models for other writers working in the language. Three of the translations were published in the ''New Ireland Review'', but publication was then paused because of a perceived anti-clerical
Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...
sentiment. In 1902 the entire collection was translated by Tadhg Ó Donnchadha
Tadhg Ó Donnchadha (1874 – 1949) was an Irish writer, poet, editor, translator and a prominent member of the Gaelic League (''Conradh na Gaeilge'') and the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was editor of ''Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge'' (The ...
and Pádraig Ó Súilleabháin, and published in a parallel-text edition by the Gaelic League
(; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
as ''An-tÚr-Ghort''. Moore later revised the texts for the English edition. These stories were influenced by Turgenev
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...
's ''A Sportsman's Sketches'', a book recommended to Moore by W. K. Magee, a sub-librarian of the National Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland (NLI; ga, Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is the Republic of Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The mission of the National Library of Ireland is ...
, and had earlier suggested that Moore "was best suited to become Ireland's Turgenev". The tales are recognised by some as representing the birth of the Irish short story as a literary genre.[
In 1903, following a disagreement with his brother Maurice over the religious upbringing of his nephews, Moore declared himself to be Protestant. His conversion was announced in a letter to the '']Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' newspaper. Moore remained in Dublin until 1911. In 1914, he published a gossipy, three-volume memoir of his time there under the collective title ''Hail and Farewell'', which entertained its readers but infuriated former friends. Moore himself said of these memoirs, "Dublin is now divided into two sets; one half is afraid it will be in the book, and the other is afraid that it won't".
In his later years he was increasingly friendless, having quarrelled bitterly with Yeats and Osborn Bergin
Osborn Joseph Bergin (26 November 1873 – 6 October 1950) was a scholar of the Irish language and early Irish literature, who discovered Bergin's Law.
He was born in Cork, sixth child and eldest son of Osborn Roberts Bergin and Sarah Reddin, a ...
, among others: Oliver St. John Gogarty
Oliver Joseph St. John Gogarty (17 August 1878 – 22 September 1957) was an Irish poet, author, otolaryngologist, athlete, politician, and well-known conversationalist. He served as the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce's novel ...
said: "It was impossible to be a friend of his, because he was incapable of gratitude".
Later life
Moore returned to London in 1911, where, with the exception of frequent trips to France, he was to spend much of the rest of his life. In 1913, he travelled to Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
to research for his next novel, ''The Brook Kerith'' (1916). The book saw Moore once again embroiled in controversy, as it was based on the supposition that a non-divine Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
did not die on the cross but instead was nursed back to health and repented of his pride in declaring himself Son of God.[ Other books from this period include a further collection of short-stories called ''A Storyteller's Holiday'' (1918), a collection of essays called ''Conversations in Ebury Street'' (1924) and a play, ''The Making of an Immortal'' (1927). Moore also spent considerable time revising and preparing his earlier writings for new editions.][
Partly because of Maurice's pro-]treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations
An international organization or international o ...
activity, Moore Hall was burnt by anti-treaty forces in 1923, during the final months of the Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...
. Moore eventually received compensation of £7,000 from the government of the Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between th ...
. By this time George and Maurice had become estranged, mainly because of an unflattering portrait of the latter which appeared in ''Hail and Farewell''. Tension also arose as a result of religious differences: Maurice frequently made donations to the Roman Catholic Church from estate funds. Moore later sold a large part of the estate to the Irish Land Commission
The Irish Land Commission was created by the British crown in 1843 to 'inquire into the occupation of the land in Ireland. The office of the commission was in Dublin Castle, and the records were, on its conclusion, deposited in the records tower t ...
for £25,000.
Moore was friendly with many members of the expatriate artistic communities in London and Paris, and had a long-lasting relationship with Maud, Lady Cunard. Moore took a special interest in the education of Maud's daughter, the well-known publisher and art patron, Nancy Cunard
Nancy Clara Cunard (10 March 1896 – 17 March 1965) was a British writer, heiress and political activist. She was born into the British upper class, and devoted much of her life to fighting racism and fascism. She became a muse to some of the ...
. It has been suggested that Moore, rather than Maud's husband, Sir Bache Cunard, was Nancy's father, but this is not generally credited by historians, and it is not certain that Moore's relationship with Nancy's mother was ever other than platonic.[Marcus, Jane]
"Cunard, Nancy Clara (1896–1965)"
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, September 2010; accessed 16 March 2011. Moore's last novel, ''Aphrodite in Aulis'', was published in 1930.[
He died at his address of 121 ]Ebury Street
Ebury Street () is a street in Belgravia, City of Westminster, London. It runs from a Grosvenor Gardens junction south-westwards to Pimlico Road. It was built mostly in the period 1815 to 1860.
Odd numbers 19 to 231 are on the south-east side; ...
in the London district of Belgravia
Belgravia () is a Districts of London, district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' Tudor Period, during the ...
in early 1933, leaving a fortune of £70,000. He was cremated in London at a service attended by Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the first who belonged to the Labour Party, leading minority Labour governments for nine months in 1924 ...
among others. An urn containing his ashes was interred on Castle Island in Lough Carra in view of the ruins of Moore Hall.[ A ]blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
commemorates his residency at his London home.
Works
* ''Flowers of Passion'' London: Provost & Company, 1878
* ''Martin Luther: A Tragedy in Five Acts'' London: Remington & Company, 1879
* ''Pagan Poems'' London: Newman & Company, 1881
* ''A Modern Lover'' London: Tinsley Brothers
William Tinsley (13 July 1831 – 1 May 1902) was a British publisher. The son of a gamekeeper, he had little formal education; but together with his brother Edward (1835–1865) he founded the firm of Tinsley Brothers, which published many of t ...
, 1883
* ''A Mummer's Wife'' London: Vizetelly & Company, 1885
* ''Literature at Nurse'' London: Vizetelly & Company, 1885
* '' A Drama in Muslin'' London: Vizetelly & Company, 1886
* ''A Mere Accident'' London: Vizetelly & Company, 1887
* ''Parnell and His Island'' London: Swan Sonnenshein Lowrey & Company, 1887
* ''Confessions of a Young Man
''The Confessions of a Young Man'' (1886 in French; 1888 in English) is a memoir by Irish novelist George Moore who spent about 15 years in his teens and 20s in Paris and later London as a struggling artist. The book is notable as being one of t ...
'' London: Swan Sonnenshein Lowrey & Company, 1888
* ''Spring Days'' London: Vizetelly & Company, 1888
* ''Mike Fletcher'' London: Ward & Downey, 1889
* ''Impressions and Opinions'' London: David Nutt, 1891
* ''Vain Fortune'' London: Henry & Company, 1891
* ''Modern Painting'' London: Walter Scott, 1893
* ''The Strike at Arlingford'' London: Walter Scott, 1893
* ''Esther Waters
''Esther Waters'' is a novel by George Moore first published in 1894.
Overview
Set in England from the early 1870s onward, the novel is about a pious young woman from a poor working-class family who, while working as a kitchen maid, is seduce ...
'' London: Walter Scott, 1894
* ''Celibates'' London: Walter Scott, 1895
* ''Evelyn Innes'' London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1898
* ''The Bending of the Bough'' London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1900
* ''Sister Theresa'' London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1901
* ''The Untilled Field'' London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1903
* ''The Lake'' London: William Heinemann, 1905
* ''Memoirs of My Dead Life'' London: William Heinemann, 1906
* ''The Apostle: A Drama in Three Acts'' Dublin: Maunsel & Company, 1911
* ''Hail and Farewell'' London: William Heinemann, 1911, 1912, 1914
* ''Elizabeth Cooper'' Dublin: Maunsel & Company, 1913
* ''Muslin'' London: William Heinemann, 1915
* ''The Brook Kerith: A Syrian Story'' London: T. Warner Laurie, 1916
* ''Lewis Seymour and Some Women'' London: William Heinemann, 1917 (reworking of ''A Modern Lover'')
* ''A Story-Teller's Holiday'' London: Cumann Sean-eolais na hÉireann (privately printed), 1918
* ''Avowals'' London: Cumann Sean-eolais na hÉireann (privately printed), 1919
* ''The Coming of Gabrielle'' London: Cumann Sean-eolais na hÉireann (privately printed), 1920
* ''Heloise and Abelard'' London: Cumann Sean-eolais na hÉireann (privately printed), 1921
* ''In Single Strictness'' London: William Heinemann, 1922
* ''Conversations in Ebury Street'' London: William Heinemann, 1924
* ''Pure Poetry: An Anthology'' London: Nonesuch Press, 1924
* ''The Pastoral Loves of Daphnis and Chloe'' London: William Heinemann, 1924
* ''Daphnis and Chloe, Peronnik the Fool'' New York: Boni & Liveright, 1924
* ''Ulick and Soracha'' London: Nonesuch Press, 1926
* ''Celibate Lives'' London: William Heinemann, 1927 (reworking of ''Celibates'' including the short story "Albert Nobbs" from ''A Story-Teller's Holiday'', which was made into a film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
starring Glenn Close
Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...
in 2011.)
* ''The Making of an Immortal'' New York: Bowling Green Press, 1927
* ''The Passing of the Essenes: A Drama in Three Acts'' London: William Heinemann, 1930
* ''Aphrodite in Aulis'' New York: Fountain Press, 1930
* ''The Talking Pine'' Paris: The Hours Press, 1931
* ''A Communication to My Friends'' London: Nonesuch Press, 1933
* ''Diarmuid and Grania: A Play in Three Acts'' Co-written with W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
, Edited by Anthony Farrow, Chicago: De Paul, 1974
Letters
* ''Moore Versus Harris'' Detroit: privately printed, 1921
* ''Letters to Dujardin'' New York: Crosby Gaige, 1929
* ''Letters of George Moore'' Bournemouth: Sydenham, 1942
* ''GM: Memories of George Moore'' by Nancy Cunard. London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1956
* ''Letters to Lady Cunard'' Ed. Rupert Hart-Davis. London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1957
* ''George Moore in Transition'' Ed. Helmut E. Gerber, Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1968
Notes
Sources
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External links
*
*
George Moore Collection
at the Harry Ransom Center
The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...
*
*
The Brook Kerith
by George Moore, 1916
(archived link)
Finding aid to George Moore papers at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
The official website of the George Moore Association
with pages about his life and works.
* George Moore Collection. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
Article on George Moore in June 1895 Edition of ''The Bookman'' (New York)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, George
1852 births
1933 deaths
19th-century Irish novelists
19th-century Irish poets
19th-century Irish short story writers
19th-century Anglo-Irish people
20th-century Irish male writers
20th-century Irish novelists
20th-century Irish poets
20th-century Anglo-Irish people
Alumni of St Mary's College, Oscott
Académie Julian alumni
Irish male dramatists and playwrights
Irish male novelists
Irish male short story writers
20th-century Irish short story writers
Irish memoirists
Moore family of Mayo
People from County Mayo
Victorian poets
19th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights
20th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights