Night Thoughts: The Surreal Life of the Poet David Gascoyne

Fraser's biography is a marvellous evocation which sets such sensational events - even an appearance in the Spanish Civil War - in an emotional and intellectual context, from hopeless fumblings with Antonia White to a private performance by Bartok contrasting with a glimpse of Stravinsky as "a little fencing-master spy". There is illumination at every turn. Christopher Hawtree, The Independent Night Thoughts brings to life Gascoyne's relationships with places, artists, friends, publishers, schools he was inspired by and later inspired. ... when Night Thoughts deals with poetry itself - its composition, and relationship with tradition and innovation - it comes to life. Mark Burnhope, Epicentre Magazine In the complex progress uncovered by Fraser, Gascoyne's history becomes a witnessed romance of manners and slights, a landscape in which cold biographical facts are converted into metaphors of questing vision, delirium, breakdown. ... at times this biography is a form of channelled ventriloquism, a paraphrasing of Gascoyne's private letters to himself. ... all the gaps in Gascoyne's hopping and skipping monologue are neatly filled. Iain Sinclair, The Guardian Gratifyingly detailed biography ... this is a worthwhile, rich and readable biography. Kevin Jackson, Literary Review Robert Fraser has the manner, the alacrity of tone and very often the humour of a born story teller. Night Thoughts recreates the richness of a whole period of French and English literary life and is really fascinating to discover, with all its strange characters, never dry nor arid to read though it is so erudite and complete. Christine Jordis, Editions Gallimard