GATES OF PARADISE, THE

by Beryl Kingston (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2007

  $3.30

  'My dearest Annie, I do believe I've stumbled upon a mystery concerning our William Blake...' Famous poet, engraver and illustrator, William Blake lived for three years in rural Felpham, Sussex, before he was dramatically tried for sedition in 1803, after which he returned to London, where he died in 1827. Fifty years on from Blake's residency in Felpham, biographer Alexander Gilchrist arrives in the village to research the poet's life. But why are the locals at The Fox Inn so hostile to his questions about Blake's court trial? Beryl Kingston's touching story of Alexander's search for the truth, and Blake's life in Sussex evokes the beauty of South East England and illuminates the life of a well-loved poet.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2006

  $3.30

  The Gates of Paradise is the story of the three years the poet William Blake spent in Felpham, of the impact of his revolutionary ideas on a pair of young lovers, of his quarrel with a trooper and his subsequent arrest and trial for sedetion. It is also a story about people, places and art; it's centred around the Fox Inn in Felpham. In April 1852 Alexander comes to stay, trying to discover more about a former resident of Felpham: a certain William Blake. In doing so he unearths the history of this small village; its people and the secrets they hide. A vast collection of colourful characters run through Kingston's book as we learn about the people that Blake interacted with and who influenced his poetry. Among the local residents is Johnnie, who works for local poet William Hayley. We witness his relationship with young Betsy and how it blossoms throughout their time with William Blake in the village.