A.J. Cronin, author of some of the best-loved
novels of the mid-twentieth century and the
creator of Dr Finlay, has been unjustly overlooked
by literary biographers. In this, the
first full-length life of this eminent but often
neglected writer, Alan Davies recounts
the story of Cronin’s Scottish childhood as
the son of a Protestant mother and Catholic
father, his subsequent medical career, and
ultimately his rise to literary prominence,
emphasizing throughout the importance of
holding at arm’s length many of the apocryphal
tales that have accumulated around
the memory of the author of Hatter’s Castle,
The Citadel and The Stars Look Down,
many of which are based on mistaken autobiographical
readings of Cronin’s fiction
itself.
Incorporating an account of Cronin’s tempestuous
relationship with his publisher,
Victor Gollancz, and some startling revelations
about the author’s marriage, Davies’s timely and
moving book paints a clearer portrait of
both Cronin the writer and Cronin the man
than the world has hitherto seen.
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'In establishing the facts, Davies has been painstaking in his labours... this gives his book an undeniable authority.' -
The Spectator
'Alan Davies provides some fascinating glimpses into the mind of this brilliant but complex and enigmatic figure. The book is meticulously researched and documented.' –
The Tablet
'A sympathetic and thorough biography.' -
Herald Scotland
________
Read an excerpt from
A.J Cronin - The Man who Created Dr Finlay
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