[ilds] Cambridge or not

[Denise Tart & David Green]

bredwine wrote:


it is probably that he [Durrell] would have been accepted somewhere, given a modicum of perseverance."  In short, failing the Oxbridge entrance exams is probably one of Durrell's tall stories, told repeatedly, with subsequent embellishment, for whatever reason.  I suspect Durrell came to believe his own stories, in which he portrayed himself with glamorous, Byronic flourishes.

>From what I have been gleaning lately, it would appear that perseverence was not one of Larry's strong pionts in his adolescent years and early 20s. the move on Camdridge was his fathers plan persued with little rigour at West Wratting by Larry who was descibed as lazy on things that did not interest him. When his father died unexpectedly Lary was set free and, able to get inherited money out of Louisa pretty easily, through himself into London Bohemia with gusto. I suppose claiming to have failed the Cambridge entrance exam is better than saying I was happily and willingly derailed by girls, booze, parties and easy money, not to mention the fact that, it would seem, his heart was not for the university. Even Oxford in the 1930s would probably have been too restrictive for - not too mention requirement more endeavour than Lary possessed at this time. But, something does suggest Durrell later regretted his choice of actions. Here is Bowker:

He was, however, always conscious of never having made it to university 'the gateway to the world' as he called it, this seems to have led him to pursue ever more esoteric knowledge - as many autodidactic writers have done, like his part Irish Contemporary, George Barker, and Like Henry Miller. (p 36)

In others words he was self taught and probably better off that way given his unconventional personality.


David Green


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