Thanks for reminding me of this part of your Nelly biography which I loved so much!! The details here were fantastic. I love the stories of now-famous men and little-known women. ❤️
I found your exploration of Shaw’s romantic entanglements fascinating. The way you weave together Bertha and Nelly’s stories against the backdrop of Victorian society paints a vivid picture of their struggles. It’s a thought-provoking piece highlighting their resilience and the complexity of Shaw’s character. Excellent writing, as always.
But why do you refer to its subject as "George" Bernard Shaw? By long-standing convention, authors are referred to by the name they choose to be known: no-one would refer to the author of The Waste Land as Thomas Eliot, or to another poet called P A Larkin. You will look in vain for the name George on the cover of any authorised edition of Shaw's works - where he's referred to as Bernard Shaw.
Shaw loathed his first name and would growl "Don't 'George' me!" to anyone who used it in his presence (see Michael Holroyd's authoritative 4 volume biography).
For some strange reason, this routine misnaming of Shaw persists as the only common example of its kind. The authority of your article is undermined by this solecism.
Thanks for reminding me of this part of your Nelly biography which I loved so much!! The details here were fantastic. I love the stories of now-famous men and little-known women. ❤️
Such a fascinating story. Thanks so much, Sarah.
I found your exploration of Shaw’s romantic entanglements fascinating. The way you weave together Bertha and Nelly’s stories against the backdrop of Victorian society paints a vivid picture of their struggles. It’s a thought-provoking piece highlighting their resilience and the complexity of Shaw’s character. Excellent writing, as always.
Goodness. Fascinating. I've never heard of Bertha Newcombe. I knew Shaw was something of a philanderer, but not to such an extent!
An interesting piece, thank you.
But why do you refer to its subject as "George" Bernard Shaw? By long-standing convention, authors are referred to by the name they choose to be known: no-one would refer to the author of The Waste Land as Thomas Eliot, or to another poet called P A Larkin. You will look in vain for the name George on the cover of any authorised edition of Shaw's works - where he's referred to as Bernard Shaw.
Shaw loathed his first name and would growl "Don't 'George' me!" to anyone who used it in his presence (see Michael Holroyd's authoritative 4 volume biography).
For some strange reason, this routine misnaming of Shaw persists as the only common example of its kind. The authority of your article is undermined by this solecism.