Henry Green facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Green
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Railway Club at Oxford. Left to right, back: Henry Yorke, Roy Harrod, Henry Weymouth, David Plunket Greene, Harry Stavordale, Brian Howard. Middle row: Michael Rosse, John Sutro, Hugh Lygon, Harold Acton, Bryan Guinness, Patrick Balfour, Mark Ogilvie-Grant, Johnny Drury-Lowe; front: porters.
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| Born | Henry Vincent Yorke 29 October 1905 Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | 13 December 1973 (aged 68) |
| Occupation | Author |
| Education | New Beacon School |
| Alma mater | Eton College |
| Literary movement | Modernism |
| Notable works | Living Party Going Loving |
| Spouse | Hon. Adelaide Biddulph |
Henry Green was the writing name of Henry Vincent Yorke (born October 29, 1905 – died December 13, 1973). He was an English writer famous for his novels like Party Going, Living, and Loving. He wrote nine novels between 1926 and 1952. He was also known as one of the 'Bright Young Things' in the 1920s and 1930s. This was a group of young, wealthy, and often rebellious people in London.
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About Henry Green's Life
Henry Green was born near Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, England. His family was well-educated and successful in business. His father, Vincent Yorke, was a wealthy landowner and factory owner in Birmingham. His mother, Maud Evelyn Wyndham, was the daughter of a nobleman.
Green grew up in Gloucestershire. He went to the New Beacon School and then to Eton College. At Eton, he became friends with another writer, Anthony Powell. He wrote most of his first novel, Blindness, while he was there. Later, he studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. There, he became friends with Evelyn Waugh, who was also a writer. Yorke and Waugh were part of a group called the Railway Club at Oxford.
Working in the Family Business
In 1926, Green left Oxford without finishing his studies. He went back to Birmingham to work in his family's business. The factory made machines for bottling beer. He started by working alongside the regular factory workers. This experience helped him write his second novel, Living. He later became the managing director of the company.
In 1929, he married his cousin, Adelaide Biddulph, who was also known as 'Dig'. Their son, Sebastian, was born in 1934. In 1940, Green published Pack My Bag, a book he considered a true story about his life.
Wartime Experiences
During World War II, Henry Green worked as a fireman in the Auxiliary Fire Service. His experiences during the war influenced his novels. They are especially seen in Caught and Back.
Green stopped writing novels after Doting was published in 1952. In his later years, he became very interested in the Ottoman Empire. He also became more private and didn't go out much. He passed away in 1973.
Henry Green's Novels
Henry Green's novels are important examples of English modernist literature. This type of writing often uses new ways to tell stories and explore human feelings. His most well-known novels are Living (1929), Party Going (1939), and Loving (1945). These three are often published together.
Living (1929)
Living tells the story of factory workers in Birmingham during the time between the two World Wars. The main characters are Lily Gates and Bert Jones. They are factory workers who dream of leaving Britain and traveling abroad. Lily wants to work, but her grandfather, Craigan, tries to stop her.
Another part of the story follows 'Dick' Dupret, the factory owner's son. When his father dies, Dick takes over the business. He often argues with Mr. Bridges, the factory foreman. Mr. Bridges worries about losing his job because Dick wants to change the factory.
Green wrote Living in a special way. He often left out words like "a," "an," and "the." This was to make the language sound like a Birmingham accent. For example, instead of "The noise of the lathes," he wrote: "Noise of lathes working began again in this factory." He said he wanted the book to be "taut and spare," like the lives of the workers.
Party Going (1939)
Party Going is about a group of rich people who are traveling by train to a house party. But because of thick fog, the train is delayed. The group decides to stay in a large hotel next to the railway station. The entire story takes place inside this hotel.
Loving (1945)
Loving describes life in an Irish country house during World War II. The story focuses on the servants who work there. While their employers are away, the servants have their own conflicts and rumors about the war.
Green shared how he got the idea for Loving. He heard a story from a manservant who worked with him in the Fire Service. The manservant asked an older butler what he liked most in the world. The butler replied: "Lying in bed on a summer morning, with the window open, listening to the church bells, eating buttered toast." Green said he saw the whole book in his mind after hearing that.
Back (1946)
Back tells the story of Charley Summers, a young Englishman. He returns home from Germany after being a prisoner of war for three years. He was hurt in battle and lost a leg. While he was a prisoner, the woman he loved, Rose, died. Rose was married to another man, so Charley couldn't openly show his sadness.
Charley visits Rose's father, Mr. Grant. Mr. Grant encourages him to meet a young widow named Nancy Whitmore. Charley is amazed because Nancy looks exactly like Rose. He later finds out that Nancy is Mr. Grant's secret daughter. Mr. Grant had sent Charley to her, hoping he could comfort her after her husband, an RAF pilot, was killed in action. The rest of the novel explores the difficult relationship between Charley and Nancy in war-torn Britain.
Henry Green believed that prose writing should be read quietly to oneself. He said it should be like "a gathering web of insinuations." He felt that good writing should create a direct connection between the writer and the reader. It should slowly bring out hidden fears and, in the end, "draw tears out of the stone."
See also
In Spanish: Henry Green para niños
