When Books Go Bad: Tales of Literary Feuds, Publishing Errors and Withering Reviews [Johnson, Alex]

Author: Alex Johnson

The literary life is not just about curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. It is also a world where Lord Byron dismisses John Keats's poetry as "piss-a-bed," spaniels devour the first drafts of masterpieces, and the combative Ben Jonson proves he is quite prepared to show that the sword can be mightier than the pen.

When Books Go Bad: The Book of Literary Scandals lifts the lid on the darker side of the literary world. Beneath jaunty covers and uplifting memoirs lies a history of personal feuds, sharp insults, physical altercations, publishing blunders, and books that met unfortunate ends. Libraries impose bizarre penalties, writers clash spectacularly, and friendships disintegrate in public view.

From Sophocles and Euripides trading barbs in ancient Greece to authors defacing books, abandoning spouses, or regretting asking Dylan Thomas to be best man at their wedding, this is a tale of writers behaving badly across the centuries. Along the way, it explores scathing reviews, sniffy dedications, brutal rejection letters, literary alliances gone sour, and the curious warning never to lick a book with a green cover.

Drawing on original documents, rare volumes, and vivid historical anecdotes, the book offers an entertaining and irreverent alternative history of the literary canon.

Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
Published: 10/27/2026
Pages: 176
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780712355834

About the Author

Alex Johnson is the author of numerous books on art, music, sheds, and books about books. His titles for the British Library include A Book of Book Lists (2017), Shelf Life (2018), Edward Lear and the Pussycat: Famous Writers and their Pets (2019), How to Give Your Child a Lifelong Love of Reading (2020), and The Book Lover's Joke Book (2022).