+ Review 2:604 Je 5 ’20 450w R of Rs 61:446 Ap ’20 120w
“A carefully prepared, though naturally sympathetic, history.”
+ Springf’d Republican p10 My 20 ’20 200w The Times [London] Lit Sup p242 Ap 15 ’20 80w
ASQUITH, MRS MARGOT (TENNANT). Margot Asquith, an autobiography. 2v il *$7.50 Doran
20–20995
With astonishing frankness Mrs Asquith tells the story of her life and when she says in her preface that she has taken the responsibility of the telling entirely upon herself, one can easily believe her. Her dash and courage and unconventionality, her affectionate nature and clever wit, her social position and close association with events and people of prominence make the book unusual. In her own words, she has related of her “manners, morals, talents, defects, temptations and appearance” as faithfully as she could. Her reminiscences are all of a personal nature without reference to politics and public affairs. Both books are indexed and illustrated.
“Mrs Asquith is a sentimentalist, and a sentimentalist of the worst kind, one who keeps it all for herself. She imagines that she is a very rare, very misunderstood person. She has made a serious mistake in writing this book; in it she delivers up her secret to the first-comer. Her book is really a very dull one unless it is regarded as an unconscious self-revelation. From that aspect it is quite interesting though the type it reveals is not very intriguing.” J. M. M.
− Ath p610 N 5 ’20 1850w Booklist 17:152 Ja ’21
“The self-revelations of Margot Asquith and those of Benvenuto Cellini present more than one parallel. Margot Asquith’s autobiography is essentially human. She has painted a portrait of herself that will live, and she has filled in the background with pictures of many who are sure of a permanent place in the history of English literature and of the politics of England.” J. C. Grey