the greatest literary biographies

A life worth reliving Percy Bysshe Shelley, subject of Richard Holmes revolutionary biography. Holmes utterly revised our sense of this key Romantic poet, taking us into his political thoughts and activities, exploring his poetry in fresh ways. Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time, Joseph Frank. He is an Aston Martin DB6 kind of writer, who is very English, very stately.. Was he a military genius? The Doctors Blackwell, Somehow, still, this robust biography of great Argentine still manages to be riveting. Written by Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, the eight-part towering work of fiction tells the story of two major characters: a tragic, disenchanted housewife, the titular Anna, who runs off with her young lover, and a lovestruck landowner named Konstantin Levin, who struggles in faith and philosophy. Its strange that the definitive biography of a writer would begin not with his origins, but in 1910, when the author was in his mid-20s. Though encyclopedic, Branchs story-telling is rivetingweaving together personalities, legalities, strategies, and geography in a way that made me feel as if I were there witnessing history as it was made. why you should read it. The 20th century saw many fine literary biographies emerging on both sides of the Atlantic, but it also produced numerous heavy and boring tomes: on the American side Mark Schorers staggeringly detailed life of Sinclair Lewis from 1961 or Joseph Blotners anaesthetising life of William Faulkner from 1974; on the British, Norman Sherrys tedious three-volume life of Graham Greene, finished in 1991. The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa wrote prolifically throughout his life, but often under a series of assumed names and identities, which he called 'heteronyms.' How to write about an author who so beautifully spun his own life into fiction? First as Josephine Tey, and then as the playwright Gordon Daviot, she established one of the strangest and most unexplored literary careers of the 20th century. 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. Hitler has a reputation as the incarnation of evil. Walter Isaacsonthe former editor of Time, best known for his other great biographies of Benjamin Franklin and . As a participant, we may earn from qualifying purchases made on those sites. why you should read it. is how we fund this project for readers and authors (learn more). And it provides crucial insight into a man who was one of the first to tell his own story. My Wars Are Laid Away in Books: The Life of Emily Dickinson, Alfred Habegger. Anne Sexton: A Biography, Diane Wood Middlebrook. He was very keen on royalty., what he gives you is a complete picture. Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson. available from the Guardian bookshop at 20. Five fascinating books about scientists, selected by historian of science Jimena Canales. Along with her prodigious talent and the excellent work of translators, this biography is part of the reason for her recent renaissance. 7 Literary biography is a hugely significant, if often overlooked, enterprise. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Goodwin traces Lincolns journey from congressman and prairie lawyer to his surprising rise over three great rivals in the national arena, as he became president of the United States. Required fields are marked *. 2. Parting the Waters Drusilla Modjeskas Stravinskys Lunch is an absolutely original study of art and life. Still the best biography of Saint Beckett, in my honest opinion. One of the greatest literary biographies ever written, Franks five-volume account details the nearly unfathomable life and literary career of a writer who endured epilepsy and exile. authors picked Dante: The Poet, the Political Thinker, the Man, Barbara Reynolds. as one of their favorite books, and they share This great, very recent biography of Montaigne is a fantastic update of the form. 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. He portrays the great artist as a self-confident, self-taught entrepreneur: da Vinci never stopped promoting his abilities to wealthy benefactors. The first dual biography of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, Hazel Rowley documents one of literature's greatest and most unorthodox love stories, through original interviews and previously unseen material. Isaacson once again proves his writing prowess with this biography of one of historys greatest artists, Leonardo da Vinci. Andy Warhols ubiquitous soup cans and his willingness to play the naf eclipse the leading Pop Art figures depth, as Blake Gopnik reveals in his magisterial new biography. Whether you're looking for new biographies, or outstanding works written decades or even centuries ago, we have some recommendations. The Best Literary Biographies. The author of Lost in Translation tells us about five striking memoirs of identity, dislocation, and belonging. why you should read it. Even exceedingly famous authors are gifted only a handful of quality biographies. authors picked She explores the details of Wilders real life struggle with poverty, hinted at in the. He presents the direct results of Hamiltons unrelenting efforts to push his ideas, many of which were disputed greatly during his time. In many ways, we persistently endure in the mind of Philip K. Dick, at least through our media. Rome. The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, James Boswell. Praise 4. Now Frank's monumental, 2,500-page work has been skillfully abridged and condensed in this single . Massie follows the journey of this obscure German princess from a minor noble family role to empress of Russia. Born into an age when women could neither own property once married nor vote, Barrett Browning seized control of her private income, overcame long-term illness, eloped to revolutionary Italy with Browning, and achieved lasting literary fame. Generations ago, Professor James Murray led a team in the daunting task of collecting definitions to create the Oxford English Dictionary. Henrietta Lacks, known among scientists as HeLa, did not know her cells would be so pivotal in the study of medicine, but in 1951, scientists took her cells and used them to develop a vaccine for polio and for intensive gene research. 4. Your email address will not be published. James Baldwin: A Biography, David Leeming. The idea of writing about authors is, for me, irresistible, and Ive just published my seventh. Rousseau, whose pioneering Romantic political philosophy was by then already influential, was setting out to do something equally new when he decided to study human nature, taking as his experimental model the human he knew best himself. Nasar expertly follows Nashs career, starting from MIT to his work at RAND Corporation. There are many, many biographers of Dante, but Reynolds, for me, does the best work when it comes to pulling together the strands of the poets highly tempestuous biography. Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for a mission beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Boswells Presumptuous Task: The Making of the Life of Dr. Johnson, Adam Sisman. show more. The traumas of the 20th century hit Eastern Europe hard a region of changing borders, uncertain identity, and shattering of moral norms. Still my favorite Plath biography, Wagner-Martins book was the first to take into account her unpublished writings. Another of my favorite historians and biographers, Uglow has a new book out this year on Britain during the Napoleonic wars. The first biography of Barrett Browning in more than three decades, with unique access to the poet's abundant correspondence,Two-Way Mirrorholds up a mirror to the woman, her art, and the art of biography itself. The best literary biographies (Separately, we also have a section with interviews dedicated to specific literary figures, including, for example, an interview on Shakespeares life, recommended by James Shapiro of Columbia University). From a struggle in the open ocean, battling starvation and leaping sharks, Zamperini would show resourcefulness and resilience in the midst of hopelessness. 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. It was about Gore Vidal and I have often recalled Vidals wise suggestion (made 30 years ago) that I should write about major figures, as important lives make for Important Lives. When youre choosing a biography to read, consider the people you admire, as well as the individuals youd like to better understand. This is an excellent and often entertaining way to study history and learn from the successes and failures of others. Here, the renowned translator and Pessoa scholar offers an insight into Pessoa's teeming imagination and polyphonous genius by tracing the back stories of his alter egos, recasting them as projections of Pessoa's inner tensionssocial, sexual, and political. This exploration of the childhood and young womanhood that created the world-famous writer and intellectual is compendious, descriptive and alert at every turn, as befits the mother of existentialism, to how the emerging psyche understands the world around it. 7,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. 10. His fairy tales place him as one of the world's greatest writers ever. Rousseau, whose pioneering Romantic political philosophy was by then already influential, was setting out to do something equally new when he decided to study human nature, taking as his . Chernow shows Hamiltons passion for patriotism, as well as his steady desire to build foundations for Americas growth and prosperity. He tells us about the art of political biography and the writers whove best captured leaders such as Churchill and Thatcher. Footsteps is a Fiona Sampson is a leading British poet and writer, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, awarded an MBE for services to literature. All 21st-century American writers owe not just a literary debt to Hurston, but also a more robustly intellectual one. The author traces Churchills difficult childhood of being unwanted by his father and needing to self-teach in order to advance in life. She explores the details of Wilders real life struggle with poverty, hinted at in the Little House books. Isaacson also took the time to interview more than 100 of Jobss family and friends, enemies and competitors, and colleagues. Celebrated public figure Norman Mailer was a journalist, novelist, filmmaker and biographer, and in this biography, J. Michael Lennon effectively captures the ambition that drove this man. Alice Walker: A Life By EVELYN C. WHITE Evelyn C. White traces the. Also available Magazines, Music and other Services by pressing the "DOWNLOAD" button, create an account and enjoy unlimited. This book covers not only da Vincis great masterpieces, but also delves into the heart of a genius. Like Ellmanns biography of Joyce, this pathbreaking work on Proust redistributed the idea of what literary biography could be. Gays biography boldly tackles some of the myths around Mozarts life. There may be more definitive biographies of Eliot, but, again, Uglows is my favorite. More than 100 years after the Armenian genocide, author Tom de Waal chooses books that sidestep the politics and bring us back to the human story. So here they are: 50 essential literary biographies. Feavers transcript forms the core of his definitive two-volume biography. I still think its one of the most beautiful memoirs ever written. Ill admit that this prizewinning biography of Whitman is the only one Ive read, but it is excellent. 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