the greatest literary biographies

Grit, A magnificent one-volume abridgement of one of the greatest literary biographies of our time Joseph Frank's award-winning, five-volume Dostoevsky is widely recognized as the best biography of the writer in any languageand one of the greatest literary biographies of the past half-century. This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. 8 I would love to see an update considering the debt young American poets owe to her work. why you should read it. Wineapple, again, with one of the few biographies of Gertrude Stein. He portrays the great artist as a self-confident, self-taught entrepreneur: da Vinci never stopped promoting his abilities to wealthy benefactors. The World Is What It Is by Patrick French (2009)This biography of V S Naipaul, is wildly entertaining as well as informative. Simone de Beauvoirs Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter is a classic. authors picked To help find a book about a specific person or group of people, we've set up the following lists: The best historical biographies Wineapple does him justice by teasing out the contradictions. Master historian David McCullough was probably the best person to write this riveting biography of Americas founding father. One of the greatest literary biographies ever written, Frank's five-volume account details the nearly unfathomable life and literary career of a writer who endured epilepsy and exile. But if anyone deserves the New Historical or post-New Historical treatment, its him. : The Lost Life and Scandalous Death of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the Celebrated "Female Byron", Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett, Manderley Forever: The Life of Daphne du Maurier. One example of allusion can be seen in Barabas' suffering in Act 1, which is compared to that of Job. The Doctors Blackwell, holds up a mirror to the woman, her art, and the art of biography itself. Writing in the first person doesnt have to be inward-looking or egotistical, says the author of The Snow Geese. Thank you for creating it. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) argued passionately against the inequality he believed to be intrinsic to civilized society. Exploring the sisters' allies, enemies, and enduring partnership, Janice P. Nimura presents a story of trial and triumph. Herrera's 1983 biography of renowned painter Frida Kahlo, one of the most recognizable names in modern art, has since become the definitive account on her life. (And I think its out of print). Although there are famously reductive (pseudo-Freudian) elements, the scholarship is impressive, the alertness to Jamess shifting sensibility superb. The 100 Greatest Literary Characters Book PDFs/Epub. Johnson once characterized literary biographies. Always held out as a kind of Celebrity King of Cautious Optimism, Twain was actually prone to episodes of intense despair. Beauvoir Simone De, From a brave account by the Stanford rape case survivor Chanel Miller to New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrows gripping tale of investigating the Harvey Weinstein scandal, its been a golden year for autobiography. as one of their favorite books, and they share A vast shelf of biographies of the Bard exists, but this is the book I would take with me to a desert island along with Shakespeares plays. Historian Andrew Roberts, author of a bestselling biography of Napoleon, introduces us to the books that shaped how he sees lEmpereurincluding little-known sources from those who knew Napoleon personally. There is a kind of unwavering clarity and honest here. The Jew of Malta e-text contains the full text of The Jew of . why you should read it. They include Lee Krasner and Elaine de Kooning, whose careers were at times overshadowed by the fame of their husbands, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, but who emerged as stunning talents in their own right, as well as a younger Jon Meacham wrote a remarkable biography of Andrew Jackson, the man often credited with creating the modern presidency. show more. Picture courtesy of the Shelley Memorial House. Required fields are marked *. Browse their picks for the best books about Every generation has its own Leonardo, and for many he remains a man of mystery. The author and recovering addict Matt Rowland Hill dissects the addiction memoirits literary potential, its formal conventions and its offer of hope and catharsisas he recommends five books that exemplify the form, from Thomas De QuinceysConfessions of an English Opium Eater toMary Karrs bestselling Lit. The biggest cheat on this list some may argue that Fanon is not literary, and that Maceys work does not constitute a literary biography. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Using a collection of letters, unpublished manuscripts, diaries, and legal documents, Fraser crafts a masterpiece biography. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe. Grit plays a key role in achieving ones goals, and Duckworth shows by both testimony and research how these traits develop ones grit, and, in turn, develop ones opportunities for success. Though the world at first recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity ultimately won her the acceptance of the male medical establishment. We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview. Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Nancy Milford. By We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview. Literary biography is a hugely significant, if often overlooked, enterprise. This brilliant book involves its author and even the reader in an untricksy but radical look at the self who makes. Released in 2014, this excellent biography is now up for a NBCC award. We will add genres Needless to say, anyone involved in this business becomes a student of Great Lives, and Ive spent decades reading and rereading my favourite examples in the genre. This deconstructive or meta-biography rescues the sisters from era-dependent historiographic obsession. Somehow, still, this robust biography of great Argentine still manages to be riveting. Written with the "voice" of Jane Austen's own cadence, almost as if one was reading a Jane Austen novel, Tomalin's painstaking research brought Jane to life in a way that no other biography of Jane has for me. The youngest sister, Sophia, married Nathaniel Hawthorne. Goodwin also honors Lincolns ability to empathize with others and feel compassion for their needs and desires, an important element in his ability to bring dissatisfied opponents to unity. Writing a traditional biography of Shakespeare is impossible, says Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro. But biographies arent your only optionyou can also get firsthand accounts of fascinating lives in the best memoirs. By David Sim On 3/16/18 at 8:24 AM EDT. By no means am I arguing that these are the only essential biographies; Im simply arguing that they are essential. It also unveils many of the economic and political events that impacted his life. Relatively unknown during his lifetime, he left a cache of more than 25,000 papers which are still being studied, translated and published almost a century after his death. Simon Winchester shares the excellently researched life of two men driven by their obsessions, which led to the greatest contribution to American literary history. is how we fund this project for readers and authors (learn more). A feminist icon, political activist, and international literary superstar, she inspired writers as diverse as Emily Dickinson, George Eliot, Rudyard Kipling, Oscar Wilde, and Virginia Woolf. His first foray back into civilization involved stealing food for survival, so Finkel also delves into these issues as he studied the life of the hermit. Download and Read Books in PDF "The 100 Greatest Literary Characters" book is now available, Get the book in PDF, Epub and Mobi for Free. How to write about an author who so beautifully spun his own life into fiction? December 14, 2022. He follows Alis matches throughout his career, giving us a glimpse into the courage, grace, speed, and humor of one of the worlds greatest athletes. Hopefully Burkes trailblazing study gets the same treatment. The idea that Dickinson led a sedentary life is, I think, now an extinguished one. It has energy and a great deal of unassertive yet far-reaching scholarship. The Private Eye satirist and author recommends five entertaining published diaries, from Andy Warhol to Harpo Marx and tells us why parody is a pickpocket. Five fascinating books about scientists, selected by historian of science Jimena Canales. Whether you're looking for new biographies, or outstanding works written decades or even centuries ago, we have some recommendations. Gays biography boldly tackles some of the myths around Mozarts life. 20 Best Presidential Biographies to Read This Presidents Day, How to Write a Memoir: A Step by Step Guide, 11 Best Books about History: Fascinating Reads for History Buffs. Isaacson also took the time to interview more than 100 of Jobss family and friends, enemies and competitors, and colleagues. Like the biographies of Montaigne and Boswell, this should be read for its meta-literary value. Janice P. Nimura digs deep into the diaries and letters of the Blackwell sisters, who were among the very first women in America to be trained as doctors. Middlebrooks 1991 biography of Sexton was controversial for its sexual and psychosexual revelations, but it was nominated, nonetheless, for the National Book Award. Stephen Mansfield expertly portrays the life and works of respected historian Winston Churchill. The traumas of the 20th century hit Eastern Europe hard a region of changing borders, uncertain identity, and shattering of moral norms. Anne Sexton: A Biography, Diane Wood Middlebrook. This biography of former US president Theodore Roosevelt is divided into three parts: the first follows major events in his life in chronological order; the second focuses on the values he held most important; and the third includes famous quotes from the great leader. Simon Heffer, journalist, historian and friend of Margaret Thatcher, recommends the best books to read to gain an understanding of the United Kingdoms first female prime ministerand explains why she was the most influential British leader of the modern era. 9. Others will point to more definitive biographies of Dickens, but this is by far the most enjoyable to read. Now Frank's monumental, 2,500-page work has been skillfully abridged and condensed in this single . UNLOCK THE KEY TO SUCCESS In this must-read for anyone seeking to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth takes us on an eye-opening journey to discover the true qualities that lead to outstanding achievement. This book is tragically out of print in America. Sharon Marcus, professor of literature at Columbia University and author of The Drama of Celebrity, recommends the best new celebrity memoirs. Queen Victoria was anything but Victorian and Lord Byron was more vulnerable than we think, says writer Jonathan Keates who considers emails a poor substitute for a hand-written correspondence. painters. Alice Walker: A Life By EVELYN C. WHITE Evelyn C. White traces the. Still the best biography of Saint Beckett, in my honest opinion. But World War II changes the trajectory of his life, with Zamperini becoming an airman and crashing into the Pacific Ocean one fateful day in May, 1943. As I drove through the South researching my guidebook to civil rights sites, my back seat was filled with books. 7. Its their frailty that makes politicians such interesting characters, says Tony Blairs biographer Anthony Seldon. if you like this list. She delves into Lincolns character, which the author believes is key to his success. She explores the details of Wilders real life struggle with poverty, hinted at in the. We live in an age obsessed with self-image. Literary Biographies Following are literary biographies reviewed by The New York Times Book Review since Dec. 31, 2000. Drawing from original records of the expedition, the biography shows us a clear look at the challenges Lewis and Clark faced in the wilderness, including the possibility of attack from Native Americans, sudden natural disasters, and other hardships. Richard Holmes knew he had become a true biographer the day his bank bounced a check that he had inadvertently dated 1772. as one of their favorite books, and they share The rollicking result, sometimes self-flagellating, occasionally exhibitionist, deviates from its own model, St Augustines fourth-century religious-philosophical, Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art, Footsteps: Adventures of a Romantic Biographer, The best books for group biographies of women, The best books to soothe and console after a love affair, divorce or Covid, The best books for artists to monetize their creativity and unlock their potential, The best biographical reading from a biographer, understanding the Souths Civil Rights Movement. Veteran audiobook reviewer Robin Whitten, editor of Audiofile magazine, recommends the best audiobooks about US presidents, and explains the crucial role of professional narrators in bringing big books to life. Suggestions? why you should read it. The Life of Langston Hughes by Arnold Rampersad (two volumes: 1986, 1988) Rampersad summons the rich world of the Harlem Renaissance and reveals the depth of African-American literary consciousness in this remarkable biography. Through biography, we can also learn history, psychology, sociology, politics, philosophy, and more. Historian and Sinologist Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellors Professor, History at UC Irvine, says that to get a real sense of China you need to focus on individuals and their stories. This excellent example of archival scholarship was the first biography of Ralph Ellison, whose Invisible Man demands to be read now alongside recent works like Claudia Rankines Citizen. Love affairs, a death by guillotine, the Napoleonic wars: Tomalins biography puts to bed the myth of Austens life as dull and uneventful. The American journalist and humorist, Calvin Trillin, talks us through his own favourite memoirs. Nor was it actually the only biographical study of Johnson published at the time. Richard Wright: The Life and Times, Hazel Rowley. For some he was the heroic champion of liberty, saviour of the free world; for others a callous imperialist with a doleful legacy. The Jew of Malta essays are academic essays for citation. We publish at least two new interviews per week. Meacham uses newly discovered family letters and documents to detail the drama that affected the family and Jacksons inner circle of advisers. Like Ellmanns biography of Joyce, this pathbreaking work on Proust redistributed the idea of what literary biography could be. Yiyun Li, author of Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life, on the sheer messiness of life, the irrelevance of I, and why brutal honesty is often the truest way to capture the people we love the most. He presents the direct results of Hamiltons unrelenting efforts to push his ideas, many of which were disputed greatly during his time. Laura Ingalls Wilder is best known for her Little House on the Prairie series of childrens historical novels. The book excellently traces the expedition extending from St. Louis to the West. A life worth reliving Percy Bysshe Shelley, subject of Richard Holmes revolutionary biography. The beginning of literary biography for anyone is probably Boswells classic life of Samuel Johnson (1791), an entertaining portrait of the inimitable sage, or such Victorian treasures as Elizabeth Gaskells astute life of Charlotte Bront (1857) or John Forsters intimate biography of Charles Dickens (1874), his close friend. Its a model of its kind. He isnt one of these people who try to make their books into vehicles for titillation, and the fact is that most lives dont deserve that, even if serialisation demands it. All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III, Burning Boy: The Life and Work of Stephen Crane, The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World, Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne, Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist's Memoir of the Jim Crow South, The Best Memoirs: The 2022 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, A Little Devil in America: Notes In Praise Of Black Performance, A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes: A Son's Memoir of Gabriel Garca Mrquez and Mercedes Barcha, Concepcion: An Immigrant Familys Fortunes, Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement, Act Like You Got Some Sense: And Other Things My Daughters Taught Me, Hawking Incorporated: Stephen Hawking and the Anthropology of the Knowing Subject, The Best Presidential Memoirs as Audiobooks, The Annotated Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life, Casting with a Fragile Thread: A Story of Sisters and Africa, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, The Best of Memoir: the 2020 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, Five Days Gone: The Mystery of My Mother's Disappearance as a Child, The Best Memoirs: The 2021 NBCC Autobiography Shortlist, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning, This is Major: On Diana Ross, Dark Girls and Being Dope, The Dragons, the Giant, the Women: A Memoir, Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana and the Stoning of San Francisco, The Best Memoirs: The 2019 National Book Critics Circle Awards Shortlist, The Day That Went Missing: A Family's Story, What Drowns the Flowers in Your Mouth: A Memoir of Brotherhood, Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home, Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over, Confessions: An Innocent Life in Communist China, Alexander the Great: The Anabasis and the Indica, The First European: A History of Alexander in the Age of Empire, The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period, Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action, The Best Biographies: the 2019 NBCC Shortlist, Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret, Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History, The Man in the Glass House: Philip Johnson, Architect of the Modern Century, The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created, Hostage to Fortune: The Letters of Joseph P. Kennedy, Churchill and the Islamic World: Orientalism, Empire and Diplomacy in the Middle East, In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War, The Memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Private View: The Lively World of British Art, A Free House! Get firsthand accounts of fascinating lives in the journalist and humorist, Calvin Trillin, talks through... New Celebrity memoirs Gertrude Stein and provide critical analysis of the greatest literary biographies Jew of Gertrude Stein book! Sister, Sophia, married Nathaniel Hawthorne Little House on the Prairie series of childrens Historical.. Wilder is best known for her Little House on the Prairie series of Historical! Century hit Eastern Europe hard a region of changing borders, uncertain identity, and legal documents Fraser... Beckett, in my honest opinion Wilder is best known for her Little House on the series... 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Biographies arent your only optionyou can also get firsthand accounts of fascinating lives in the first person have... Have to be riveting a traditional biography of great Argentine still manages to be intrinsic to civilized society is... House on the Prairie series of childrens Historical novels EVELYN C. WHITE traces the expedition extending from St. to! Art of biography itself were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the Snow Geese per...