All You Can Books

Seven Men

Sir Max Beerbohm

199 ratings
Seven Men | Sir Max Beerbohm

Seven Men

Download Here

Download Audiobook

Listen Online

Download eBook

Read eBook Online

Download eBook PDF
In order to liven up the literary history of Great Britain in the 1890s (as if Oscar Wilde, Stevenson, Kipling, Hardy, etc., were not lively enough) Max Beerbohm wrote short biographies of six imaginary writers. Though their works of course no longer exist, he leaves the impression that the literary world is really none the poorer. It is, of course, the six men themselves (Beerbohm himself is the seventh man of the title) who are worth our attention.
ows, did but the more dissolve me. I rocked to and fro, I lay back aching. I behaved deplorably.

'I am a gentleman, and,' he said with intense emphasis, 'I thought I was in the company of GENTLEMEN.'

'Don't!' I gasped faintly. 'Oh, don't!'

'Curious, nicht wahr?' I heard him say to Soames. 'There is a type of person to whom the very mention of my name is—oh-so-awfully-funny! In your theatres the dullest comedian needs only to say "The Devil!" and right away they give him "the loud laugh that speaks the vacant mind." Is it not so?'

I had now just breath enough to offer my apologies. He accepted them, but coldly, and re-addressed himself to Soames.

'I am a man of business,' he said, 'and always I would put things through "right now," as they say in the States. You are a poet. Les affaires—you detest them. So be it. But with me you will deal, eh? What you have said just now gives me furiously to hope.'

Soames had not moved, except to light a fresh cigarette. He sat crouched forward, with his elbows squared on the table, and his head just above the level of his hands, staring up at the Devil. 'Go on,' he nodded. I had no remnant of laughter in me now.

'It will be the more pleasant, our little deal,' the Devil went on, 'because you are—I mistake not?—a Diabolist.'

'A Catholic Diabolist,' said Soames.

The Devil accepted the reservation genially. 'You wish,' he resumed, 'to visit now—this afternoon as-ever-is—the reading-room of the British Museum, yes? but of a hundred years hence, yes? Parfaitement. Time—an illusion. Past and future—they are as ever-present as the present, or at any rate only what you call "just-round-the-corner." I switch you on to any date. I project you—pouf! You wish to be in the reading-room just as it will be on the afternoon of June 3, 1997? You wish to find yourself s

Edward 01/01/2024
Well, this was a wonderful start to 2024! I'm reading a good deal of Beerbohm as part of my Modern Library project. What's impressive about Beerbohm is the sheer amount of range, impressionistic speculation, and style he was able to squeeze out of a very rigid and limited form: namely, the parody of
Sheila 05/20/2023
Five humorous stories that poke fun at the late-19th century literary scene. "Enoch Soames" is perhaps best known and I assume is regarded as the granddaddy of "meta" storytelling. I thought Braxton and Maltby the funniest of the bunch although honorable mention has to go to Savonarola Brown's Shake
Sam 01/20/2023
This book had a surprising amount of fantastical elements. I found the narrator quirky and charming, which helped carry the book through some of the slower moments. A nice, quick read.
Daniel 05/03/2020
Fantastic short story writing! Max Beerbohm brings characters, settings, and events to life with masterful language. Each story really captures the essence of the six different men directly portrayed; the seventh man is Beerbohm himself, the narrator and participant in each of the stories, who is su
Aravindakshan 11/11/2018


A mixed baggage. I would have given 3 and a half if I had the option. The best of all was the first story "Enoch Soames". We have our narrator(Beerbohm himself) being a friend to a writer called Enoch Soames, who for all reasons unknown and best, neglected by all. He is introduced as a measured, res
Graychin 10/26/2015
More fun with Uncle Max, this time in the form of brief fictional biographies. The best piece is the first one, on Enoch Soames who had everything necessary to be a big literary hit in the 1890s, except talent. He makes an ill-considered bargain with the devil and pays the price.
Manny 06/05/2011
[Original review]

A couple of days ago, I reviewed Arthur M. Steven's The Blue Book of Charts to Winning Chess , one of the most dismally misguided chess books ever written. Unfortunately, the author had spent most of his life writing it. I'd only borrowed him as a hook on which to hang a Twilight

How It Works

30-day FREE trial

Get ALL YOU CAN BOOKS absolutely FREE for 30 days. Download our FREE app and enjoy unlimited downloads of our entire library with no restrictions.

UNLIMITED access

Have immediate access and unlimited downloads to over 200,000 books, courses, podcasts, and more with no restrictions.

Forever Downloads

Everything you download during your trial is yours to keep and enjoy for free, even if you cancel during the trial. Cancel Anytime. No risk. No obligations.

Significant Savings

For just $24.99 per month, you can continue to have unlimited access to our entire library. To put that into perspective, most other services charge the same amount for just one book!

Start Your Free Trial Now

Our Story

Welcome to All You Can Books, the ultimate destination for book lovers.

Welcome to All You Can Books, the ultimate destination for book lovers.

As avid readers, we understand the joy of immersing ourselves in a captivating story or getting lost in the pages of a good book. That's why we founded All You Can Books back in 2010, to create a platform where people can access an extensive library of quality content and discover new favorites.

Since our founding days, we’ve continuously added to our vast library and currently have over 200,000 titles, including ebooks, audiobooks, language learning courses, podcasts, bestseller summaries, travel books, and more! Our goal at All You Can Books is to ensure we have something for everyone.

Join our community of book lovers and explore the world of literature and beyond!