The Lamberts George, Constant and Kit
The Lamberts: George, Constant and Kit by Andrew Motion, published by Faber & Faber in November 2018, is a detailed exploration of the lives of three generations of the Lambert family. This edition spans 416 pages and is presented in English. The narrative focuses on George, a prominent Australian painter, his son Constant, a gifted composer-conductor, and grandson Kit, who managed the iconic pop group The Who. The book examines the complexities of their relationships and the impact of fame across generations.
Readers will find a thorough examination of the interplay between personal ambition and familial ties, as well as insights into various cultural aspects such as revivalist painting, classical music, and the evolution of pop music. Motion’s work delves into the fragility of fame and the often tragic consequences it brings, offering a reflective look at the Lamberts’ lives. This biographical account not only recounts their individual stories but also evaluates the broader cultural context in which they existed.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘Families are societies in miniature.’
The Lamberts: George, Constant and Kit won a Somerset Maugham Award in 1987. A lesson in the fragility of fame, it tells the tragic story of three generations: George, one of Australia’s leading painters; his talented composer-conductor son Constant; and grandson Kit, who managed the pop group The Who.
‘Motion’s project is not just to tell the story of passing generations, which he does very readably and well, but necessarily also to describe and evaluate aspects of English culture – revivalist painting, classical music in the Twenties and Thirties, the foundation of a native ballet, pop music in the Sixties – which he does with considerable confidence and resource.’ London Review of Books
‘The story of the three Lamberts is as cruel and horrifying as any Greek tragedy… Its portrayal of the way in which the Lamberts instinctively yet unintentionally assisted in the destruction of their own offspring makes for truly compulsive reading.’ Harpers and Queen
‘An exemplary piece of research’ (Sunday Times).
‘A biographical triumph.’ Observer
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