Although Disraeli is probably better known as a politician, his first choice of career was as a writer. His father wanted him to enter the legal profession but Disraeli preferred to be “a great man” rather than “a great lawyer”. As a young man, Disraeli fell under the influence of the Romantic writers, as epitomised by Byron: he adopted ruffled shirts, colourful waistcoats and velvet trousers; he chose flamboyant jewellery and wore his hair in ringlets. Always something of a dandy, he once arrived at a dinner party wearing “green velvet trousers, a canary coloured waistcoat, low shoes, sliver buckles, lace at his wrists and his hair in ringlets” (Henry Bulmer). Disraeli’s entry into literary circles came in 1826 and …
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Citation: Bloy, Marjorie. "Benjamin Disraeli". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 April 2005 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5072, accessed 22 November 2024.]
