Malcolm Lowry
Malcolm Lowry
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Malcolm Lowry's full name was Charles Malcolm Lowry. He is commonly referred to as Malcolm Lowry.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on July 28, 1909, in Fulham, London, England. Malcolm Lowry passed away on June 27, 1957, in Riehen, Switzerland.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Malcolm Lowry was a British novelist and poet. His nationality is often debated among scholars due to his complex identity, which included English, Scottish, and Canadian influences.
Early Life and Background
Lowry's early life was marked by turmoil. He was born into an affluent family but faced difficulties at home. His father, Archibald Lowry, struggled with depression and addiction, while his mother, Ada Pearson, suffered from mental health issues. Malcolm attended Sherborne School in Dorset, where he excelled academically but felt isolated.
In 1927, Lowry traveled to Canada with his parents, where they settled on a farm in British Columbia. However, the experience was short-lived as his father's drinking problem worsened. The family eventually returned to England. Lowry attended University College London and later worked as an insurance clerk before turning to writing full-time.
Major Accomplishments
Malcolm Lowry's most notable accomplishment is undoubtedly his novel Under the Volcano, published in 1947. This epic work of literature is often regarded as a masterpiece of modernist fiction. The novel explores themes of decay, morality, and the search for meaning, set against the backdrop of Mexico City on the eve of the Mexican Revolution.
Lowry's writing style was characterized by its lyricism, depth, and complexity. His works often explored the human condition, grappling with issues like identity, alienation, and the search for connection in a seemingly meaningless world.
Notable Works or Actions
In addition to Under the Volcano, Lowry wrote several other notable works, including:
Dark as the Night (1934) - a collection of short stories
Lunar Caustic (1968) - published posthumously, this novel is considered one of Lowry's most experimental and innovative works
Lowry's writing was not limited to fiction. He also composed poetry and experimented with various forms of creative expression.
Impact and Legacy
Malcolm Lowry's impact on literature is profound. His unique style and thematic concerns have influenced generations of writers, including notable authors like William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac.
Lowry's work continues to be widely studied in academic circles, with scholars analyzing his use of language, symbolism, and philosophical ideas. His novels are also popular among readers seeking complex, thought-provoking fiction.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Malcolm Lowry is widely quoted and remembered for several reasons:
Innovative Style: Lowry's writing style was revolutionary in its time. He pushed the boundaries of language, experimenting with form and structure to create a unique narrative voice.
Thematic Relevance: His works often explored universal themes like identity, morality, and the human condition. These concerns remain relevant today, making his writing both timeless and timely.
* Cultural Significance: Lowry's experiences as an outsider and his exploration of alienation have made him a symbol for those who feel disconnected from society.
Malcolm Lowry's legacy extends beyond his written works. He represents the complexities and struggles of the human experience, inspiring readers to continue exploring the depths of literature and their own identities.
Quotes by Malcolm Lowry
Malcolm Lowry's insights on:
Indeed, on the face of it, this man of abnormal strength and constitution and obscure ambition, whom Hugh would never know, could never deliver nor make agreement to God for, but in his way loved and desired to help, had triumphantly succeeded in pulling himself together.
Under the volcano! It was not for nothing the ancients had placed Tartarus under Mt. Aetna, nor within it, the monster Typhoeus, with his hundred heads and – relatively – fearful eyes and voices.
There was no mistaking, even in the uncertain light, the hand, half crabbed, half generous, and wholly drunken, of the Consul himself, the Greek e’s, the flying buttresses of d’s, the t’s like lonely wayside crosses save where they crucified an entire word.
Interchangeable ever were the terms of abuse with which the aggressor discredits those about to be ravaged!
Ah, guilt and sorrow had dogged Juan’s footsteps too, for he was not a Catholic who could rise refreshed from the cold bath of confession. Yet the banality stood: that the past was irrevocably past. And conscience had been given man to regret it only in so far as that might change the future. For man, every man, Juan seemed to be telling him, even as Mexico, must ceaselessly struggle upward. What was life but a warfare and a stranger’s sojourn?
Perhaps his tragedy is that he is the only normal writer left on earth – and it is this that adds to his isolation and so too his so sense of guilt.
British Columbia, the genteel Siberia, that was neither genteel nor a Siberia, but an undiscovered, perhaps an undiscoverable Paradise.