The Life And Work Of Anthony Burgess :: essays research papers

The Life and Work of Anthony Burgess     "Autobiography Story of ones life, written by oneself."(Halsey 64).Everyone knows what an autobiography is, scarce not so galore(postnominal) people realize thatalthough not all authors write a book that can be called a factual autobiography,many authors frequently allow personal, real life experiences to influence theirfictional writings. An excellent example of such an author is Anthony Burgess.Anthony Burgess is recognized today as an side of meat novelist, critic, essayist,and composer (editor CLC 80). Burgess is such a literary genius, it was oncesaid of him that "... his agent, publisher, and his entry in "Whos Who" couldnot provide the exact number of books he wrote." (Baldwin A8). Some ofBurgesss whole kit and boodle include The Long Day Wanes, The Doctor is Sick, and, perhapsBurgesss intimately famous book, Clockwork Orange. A Clockwork Orange is aninteresting novel that paints a pictur e of a dour violence in the not-so-distant future. The story is based on, and told by the narrator, the fifteen-year old Alex, but it shows many references to the life and experience of itsauthor. In a serial of five books, Burgess also concentrate on his life experiences.Enderbys Dark Lady was the fifth in the series, and that will be the secondbook focused on in this paper. Anthony Burgesss work in A Clockwork Orange andEnderbys Dark Lady strongly reflects significant events or influences in hisown life.     Anthony Burgess was innate(p) John Burgess Wilson in Manchester, England inearly 1917. (Stinson 1). Both of Burgesss parents were members of the theatricarts His father was a pianist, his mother was a musical actress. Burgess wentto a Catholic elementary school, and was one of the many victims of the "irondiscipline and largely rote memorization" (Stinson 2) typical in such schools ofthe time. Burgess attended Xaverian College, and later move on to theinexpensive University of Manchester, where he hoped to pursue an education inmusic. He was rejected form the music division because he had failed physics.Instead, Burgess entered the English department (Stinson 6). In 1940, Burgessgraduated with his B.A., with honors, in literature and English language(Stinson 7). Shortly after, Burgess enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps,and spent most of his six eld in the service in the entertainment section,playing the piano and writing songs, or in the Army Educational Corps (Stinson7). In 1946, Burgess was discharged with the rank of sergeant-major. Burgessfound himself employed in several different jobs, and living in severaldifferent countries in the years that followed.