The Quest for Corvo is not simply an account of the life and works of that peculiar British author Frederick Rolfe, self-appointed Baron Corvo. It is a ground¬breaking biography that describes the search for an understanding of its subject, offering aspects of Rolfe’s life and character as they are revealed to his biographer. It presents a fascinating portrait of Corvo—artist, rejected candidate for priesthood and author of autobiographical fiction, a man of misdirected genius, frustrated ambition, arrogance and paranoia.

The Quest for Corvo is also a vivid portrait of the characters associated with Rolfe, the majority of whom found themselves enemies of the man they often attempted to help. And The Quest for Corvo offers an insight into the biographer’s fascination for his subject.

This new edition contains many photographs of the original documents used by Symons in researching his landmark book, and adds his essay ‘Tradition in Biography’.