The Power of Delight: A Lifetime in Literature
Broad introduction to Bayley's literary criticism across his career.
Author guide
John Bayley Books in Order
John Oliver Bayley (1925–2015) was a British literary critic, novelist, essayist, and memoirist. He taught at Oxford for more than three decades and served as Thomas Warton Professor of English Literature from 1974 to 1992. His criticism addressed Romantic and modern poetry, Tolstoy, Pushkin, Hardy, Shakespeare, and the short story. He wrote five novels and a three-volume memoir sequence about his first wife, Iris Murdoch.
literary criticismfictionessaysmemoir
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch
His best-known and most accessible memoir.
Alice
The opening novel of his linked late-fiction trilogy.
Read in order
Books by series
trilogy · complete
Alice trilogy
A linked trilogy of novels featuring recurring characters including Ginnie Thornton and the Grey brothers.
- 1 Alice
Book 1 · novel · 1994
- 2 The Queer Captain
Book 2 · novel · 1995
- 3 George's Lair
Book 3 · novel · 1996
trilogy · complete
Iris memoir trilogy
A three-volume life-writing sequence about Iris Murdoch, her illness, and Bayley's bereavement.
- 1 Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch
Book 1 · memoir · 1998
Iris Murdoch’s husband, John Bailey, provides witness to Murdoch’s brilliant writing and academic life. Murdoch, the author of The sea, the sea (Booker prize 1987), Under the Net, The Severed Head, and other recognized novels and…
- 2 Iris and the Friends: A Year of Memories
Book 2 · memoir · 1999
- 3 Widower's House
Book 3 · memoir · 2001
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (2)
- In Another Country
novel · 1955
- The Red Hat
novel · 1997
Essays and speeches (3)
- Selected Essays
essay-collection · 1984
- The Order of Battle at Trafalgar, and Other Essays
essay-collection · 1987
- The Power of Delight: A Lifetime in Literature
essay-collection · 2005
Poetry (2)
- Keats and Reality
poetry-criticism · 1962
- Housman's Poems
poetry-criticism · 1992
Edited works (1)
- Hand Luggage: A Personal Anthology
personal-anthology · 2001
Other (8)
- The Romantic Survival: A Study in Poetic Evolution
critical-study · 1957
- The Characters of Love: A Study in the Literature of Personality
critical-study · 1960
- Tolstoy and the Novel
critical-study · 1966
- Pushkin: A Comparative Commentary
critical-study · 1971
- The Uses of Division: Unity and Disharmony in Literature
critical-study · 1976
- An Essay on Hardy
critical-study · 1978
- Shakespeare and Tragedy
critical-study · 1981
- The Short Story: Henry James to Elizabeth Bowen
critical-study · 1988
Frequently asked questions about John Bayley
Who was John Bayley?
John Oliver Bayley (1925–2015) was a British literary critic, scholar, novelist, essayist, and memoirist who taught at Oxford University.
Sources: theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)thebritishacademy.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)
Where was John Bayley born, and where did he study?
He was born in Lahore in 1925, educated at Eton, served in the Army during the Second World War, and studied English at Oxford’s New College.
What was John Bayley’s career at Oxford?
Bayley taught English at Oxford for decades and served as Warton Professor of English from 1974 to 1992. He was widely regarded as an inspiring teacher and influential critic.
Sources: thebritishacademy.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)
Who was Iris Murdoch to John Bayley, and why is their relationship significant?
Iris Murdoch was Bayley’s first wife, and they were married for more than 40 years. His memoir about their life together and her Alzheimer’s disease brought him broad public recognition and helped inspire the film Iris.
Sources: theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)us.macmillan.com (opens in a new tab)
What honours did John Bayley receive?
Bayley was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1990 and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999.
Sources: thebritishacademy.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)