From the Roaring Twenties through the Beatles era, Noël Coward virtually embodied sophistication and wit for the entire English-speaking world. His plays, songs, and short stories made him the darling of the literary set, and his screenplays attracted a mass audience. He was also an early advocate of television, although he claimed to prefer appearing on it to watching it. Day has assembled a chronological assortment of extracts from Coward’s immense oeuvre. A master of light verse, Coward penned lyrics that practically sing for themselves. Although he seemed so much at home with upper-class domestic comedy, he wrote stunning patriotic works that helped bolster Britain during WWII’s darkest months. Day’s commentary usefully links the selections one to another, and he avoids psychological ruminations in favor of thoughtful juxtaposition of texts. The only thing missing is Coward’s music, delicate tunes that so defined British cabaret for a generation. --Mark Knoblauch
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Publisher: Knopf
Released: 2010
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