Liber amoris, or The new pygmalion

"An extraordinary drama of sexual obsession and romantic yearning, this is the story of a middle-aged man's attempt to exeorcise his infatuation with a girl half his age. Based on the letters Hazlitt wrote during his 'affair' with Sarah Walker, his landlady's daughter, it describes their circling encounters in his rooms, his dash to Scotland for a divorce, his rising jealousy and almost insane suspicions. But in real ife -- as this edition reveals -- his actions were still more bizarre and unexpected. Into this work the author poured the sensitivity to art, the feeling for drama, the political fervour and scourging honesty that made him such a brilliant critic. With its breathtaking intensity this work caused outrage on first publication, and still makes us gasp today. This is one of the greatest books ever written on obsessive love -- a condition all too many of us will recognize." -- Book cover.