Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man
Encyclopedia
Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man is a novel by Siegfried Sassoon
, first published in 1928 by Faber and Faber
. It won both the Hawthornden Prize
and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize
, being immediately recognised as a classic of English literature
. In the years since its first appearance, it has regularly been a set text for British schoolchildren.
, mostly written during and about World War I
. Only ten years after the war ended, after some experience of journalism, did he feel ready to branch out into prose. So uncertain was he of the wisdom of this move that he elected to publish MFHM anonymously. It is in effect the autobiography
of his early years, but is presented in the form of a novel
, with false names being given to the central characters, including Sassoon himself, who appears as "George Sherston", and his mother ("Aunt Evelyn").
match), and his encounters with various comic characters; "The Flower-Show Match" was later published separately by Faber as a self-contained story. The book as a whole is a frequently humorous work, in which fox-hunting, which had been one of Sassoon's major interests, comes to represent the young man's innocent frame of mind in the years before war broke out. The book ends with his enlistment in a local regiment. The story is continued in two sequels: Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
and Sherston's Progress
.
The story is a series of episodes in the youth of "George Sherston", ranging from his first attempts to learn to ride to his experiences in winning point-to-point races. A major incident in the narrative is "The Flower Show Match", which has sometimes been published separately as a short story. This is an account of an annual village cricket match - an important fixture for those involved - in which young Sherston plays a significant part.
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English poet, author and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's...
, first published in 1928 by Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
. It won both the Hawthornden Prize
Hawthornden Prize
The Hawthornden Prize is a British literary award that was established in 1919 by Alice Warrender. Authors are awarded on the quality of their "imaginative literature" which can be written in either poetry or prose...
and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
Founded in 1919, the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are among the oldest and most prestigious book prizes awarded for literature written in the English language and are Britain's oldest literary awards...
, being immediately recognised as a classic of English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
. In the years since its first appearance, it has regularly been a set text for British schoolchildren.
Background
The remarkable thing about the book's success is that, prior to its publication, Sassoon's reputation rested entirely on his poetryPoetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, mostly written during and about World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Only ten years after the war ended, after some experience of journalism, did he feel ready to branch out into prose. So uncertain was he of the wisdom of this move that he elected to publish MFHM anonymously. It is in effect the autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of his early years, but is presented in the form of a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, with false names being given to the central characters, including Sassoon himself, who appears as "George Sherston", and his mother ("Aunt Evelyn").
Plot
The title is somewhat misleading, as the book is mainly concerned with a series of landmark events in Sassoon's childhood and youth (such as his first riding lesson and a particularly important cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match), and his encounters with various comic characters; "The Flower-Show Match" was later published separately by Faber as a self-contained story. The book as a whole is a frequently humorous work, in which fox-hunting, which had been one of Sassoon's major interests, comes to represent the young man's innocent frame of mind in the years before war broke out. The book ends with his enlistment in a local regiment. The story is continued in two sequels: Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer is a novel by Siegfried Sassoon, first published in 1930. It is a fictionalised account of Sassoon's own life during and immediately after World War I...
and Sherston's Progress
Sherston's Progress
Sherston's Progress is the final book of Siegfried Sassoon's semi-autobiographical trilogy. It is preceded by Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man and Memoirs of an Infantry Officer....
.
The story is a series of episodes in the youth of "George Sherston", ranging from his first attempts to learn to ride to his experiences in winning point-to-point races. A major incident in the narrative is "The Flower Show Match", which has sometimes been published separately as a short story. This is an account of an annual village cricket match - an important fixture for those involved - in which young Sherston plays a significant part.