Jean Rhys

Date of Birth: August 24, 1890

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: May 14, 1979

Biography

Jean Rhys, born Ella Gwendolyn Rees Williams, was a celebrated novelist and short story writer of Dominican and Welsh descent. She was born on August 24, 1890, in Roseau, Dominica, which was then part of the British West Indies. Rhys is best known for her novel “Wide Sargasso Sea,” which serves as a prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre” and explores the backstory of the character Bertha Mason. Rhys moved to England at the age of 16 to attend the Perse School for Girls in Cambridge and later, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Her early life in England was marked by a series of personal and financial hardships, which often influenced her literary work. Her writing career began in the 1920s with the publication of short stories and her first novel, “Quartet,” in 1928. Rhys’s works are characterized by themes of exile, identity, and the struggles of women in a patriarchal society. Despite her early success, Rhys fell into obscurity following World War II. It wasn’t until the publication of “Wide Sargasso Sea” in 1966 that she gained significant recognition and literary acclaim. Rhys passed away on May 14, 1979, in Exeter, England, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneering and influential writer.

5 Interesting Facts about Jean Rhys

1. Jean Rhys was born in the Caribbean island of Dominica and often drew on her experiences there in her writing.

2. She was awarded the W.H. Smith Literary Award in 1967 for “Wide Sargasso Sea.”

3. Rhys’s first novel, “Quartet,” is a thinly veiled account of her affair with Ford Madox Ford.

4. After disappearing from the literary scene for many years, Rhys was “rediscovered” in the 1950s, leading to renewed interest in her work.

5. Her final years were spent in seclusion in Devon, England, where she continued to write until her death.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Jean Rhys

1. “I must say I felt nothing but relief when I left the West Indies behind me.”

2. “I have been too unhappy to speak. What I want to say is too painful.”

3. “There are always two deaths, the real one and the one people know about.”

4. “Age seldom arrives smoothly or quickly. It’s more often a succession of jerks.”

5. “Of course, nothing is ever finished. Nothing ever is.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Jean Rhys’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but it is known that she lived modestly for most of her life and struggled financially at various points.