A Gentleman of Pleasure

John Glassco (1909-1981) holds a unique position in Canadian letters and a somewhat notorious reputation throughout the world. He is best known for his Memoirs of Montparnasse, the controversial chronicle of his youthful adventures and encounters with celebrities in the Paris of James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, and Ernest Hemingway. Less known are his poetry, his instrumental role in the foundation of modern translation, and his numerous - and widely popular - works of pornography. A Gentleman of Pleasure not only spans Glassco's life but delves into his background as a member of a once prominent and powerful Montreal family. In addition to Glassco's readily available work, Brian Busby draws on pseudonymous writings published as a McGill student as well as unpublished and previously unknown poems, letters, and journal entries to detail a vibrant life while pulling back the curtain on Glassco's sexuality and unconventional tastes. In a lively account of a man given to deception, who took delight in hoaxes, Busby manages to substantiate many of the often unreliable statements Glassco made about his life and work. A Gentleman of Pleasure is a remarkable biography that captures the knowable truth about a fascinatingly complex and secretive man.

ISBN 0773538186   Pages 400 ISBN13 9780773538184 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 789 Publisher McGill-Queen's University Press   Published in Montreal Imprint McGill-Queen's University Press   Height (mm) 236 Format Hardback   Width (mm) 167 Publication date 12 May 2011   Spine width (mm) 29 DEWEY 818.5209   Academic level Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

"Both entertaining and scholarly, this is, surprisingly, the first biography of this eccentric writer." -Faye Hammill, Times Higher Education "Original and richly detailed, A Gentleman of Pleasure gives John Glassco the audience he deserves." Andrew Lesk, University of Toronto "A good treatment of a fascinating and complex figure that reads effortlessly.-David Staines, University oOttawa

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