Barry Pain
Barry Pain was a prolific English writer born in 1864 in Cambridge, known for his wide-ranging contributions to literature across various genres including satire, detective fiction, and ghost stories. He gained notoriety as a comic writer and was labeled the first "new humorist." Pain's literary journey began at Sedbergh School and continued at Cambridge University, where he was involved in student publications despite not excelling academically. His first widely recognized story, "The Hundred Gates," appeared in 1889, leading to a flourishing writing career with contributions to prominent magazines like Punch and the National Observer.
Married to playwright Amelia Lehmann, Pain published a successful collection of stories in 1891 and later ventured into novel writing with works like Graeme and Cyril. He became the editor of To-Day in 1897, where he released his renowned short-story collection, Eliza, alongside its sequels. Pain also explored supernatural themes, publishing Stories in the Dark in 1901. His life took a turn when he served in the Royal Navy Reserve during World War I. Despite personal challenges, including his wife's death in 1918 and declining health, Pain continued to write until his passing in 1928, leaving behind a legacy of diverse and engaging literature.
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Barry Pain
Writer
- Born: September 28, 1864
- Birthplace: Cambridge, England
- Died: May 5, 1928
- Place of death: Watford, England
Biography
Barry Pain was an enormously prolific writer who worked in highly diverse genres: satire, burlesque tales, detective fiction, ghost stories, children’s stories, novels of social critique, poetry, essays, journalism, and literary criticism. Best known as a comic writer, Pain was the first author to whom the controversial label “new humorist” was applied. He published widely in many popular magazines and is best remembered for his works representing working-class characters.
Born in 1864 in Cambridge, England, Pain attended the Sedbergh School from 1879 to1883, where he wrote for the school paper. He began studying classics at Corpus Christi College at Cambridge University in 1884. He had a scholarship, but he was not a good student and he graduated in1886 with only a third-class degree. However, he was the editor of the Cambridge Fortnightly and wrote extensively while at college. Upon graduation, he accepted a position as an army tutor in Guildford, near London.
In 1889, he published his first widely read story, “The Hundred Gates,” in Cornhill magazine, and he began writing for Granta, a Cambridge student publication. After this exposure, his writing opportunities expanded and he published in Punch, Speaker, National Observer, Daily Chronicle, and Black and White. “In the Smoking Room,” his humor column for Black and White, ran for several years.
Pain published his first book in 1891, a very successful collection of stories drawing heavily from his Granta publications. Shortly after its release, he married Amelia Lehmann, with whom he would have two daughters. Lehmann was a published playwright, her father was the painter Rudolf Lehmann, and her sister was composer Liza Lehmann. In 1893, Pain published his first novel, Graeme and Cyril.
Pain became the editor of To-Day in 1897, remaining in this position until the newspaper was bought by the London Opinion in 1905. During this time, he released Eliza, a highly comic short-story collection that is considered his best work. He produced four sequels to the book: Eliza’s Husband, Eliza Getting On, Exit Eliza, and Eliza’s Son.
Drawing on a personal interest in the occult, which was trendy at the time, Pain published Stories in the Dark in 1901, a book of stories with supernatural themes that was very different from his comic work. He returned to supernatural themes numerous times throughout his career, including his relatively hackneyed collaborations with fiction writer James Blyth on the novels The Shadow of the Unseen and The Luck of Norman Dale.
In 1915, after a visit to the United States, Pain joined the Royal Navy Reserve and became a chief petty officer, despite his age. He served for a time as a searchlight operator but resigned because of eye trouble and was reassigned to the London Appeal Tribunal in 1917. Pain’s wife died in 1918, and he moved to Watford, England, continuing to write extensively despite his failing health. He published his last novel, The Later Years, in 1927, and he died in May, 1928.