Parameters
- 168 pages
- 6 hours of reading
More about the book
What choices must a biographer make when stitching together a life into a coherent narrative? This intriguing and witty collection of essays by an acclaimed biographer explores how biography navigates myths, legends, and the inevitable gaps in a subject's story. Through various case studies, the author examines the challenges posed by absences and unprovable tales surrounding figures like Percy Bysshe Shelley, Jane Austen, Samuel Pepys, and Virginia Woolf. Notable essays include one that discusses Shelley's heart found in a book and another that analyzes five competing accounts of a dramatic moment in Austen's life, highlighting how biography engages with the private lives of famous women. The exploration of Woolf's life reveals the transformations her story has undergone through biography, fiction, and film, suggesting that no definitive version exists. Additionally, an essay on deathbed scenes reflects on how biographical conventions have evolved and why endings are imbued with special significance. Through these essays, the author sheds light on how biographers bring their subjects to life and offers captivating insights into the art of life-writing, articulating and redefining the parameters of this craft with wit and eloquence.
Book purchase
Virginia Woolf's Nose, Hermione Lee
- Language
- Released
- 2005
- Binding
- (Hardcover),
- Book condition
- Good
- Price
- €10.99
Payment methods
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- Title
- Virginia Woolf's Nose
- Subtitle
- Essays on Biography
- Language
- English
- Authors
- Hermione Lee
- Publisher
- Princeton University Press
- Released
- 2005
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 168
- ISBN10
- 0691120323
- ISBN13
- 9780691120324
- Series
- Categories
- Tags
- Women, USA, Linguistics, Literary Criticism, Writing
- Description
- What choices must a biographer make when stitching together a life into a coherent narrative? This intriguing and witty collection of essays by an acclaimed biographer explores how biography navigates myths, legends, and the inevitable gaps in a subject's story. Through various case studies, the author examines the challenges posed by absences and unprovable tales surrounding figures like Percy Bysshe Shelley, Jane Austen, Samuel Pepys, and Virginia Woolf. Notable essays include one that discusses Shelley's heart found in a book and another that analyzes five competing accounts of a dramatic moment in Austen's life, highlighting how biography engages with the private lives of famous women. The exploration of Woolf's life reveals the transformations her story has undergone through biography, fiction, and film, suggesting that no definitive version exists. Additionally, an essay on deathbed scenes reflects on how biographical conventions have evolved and why endings are imbued with special significance. Through these essays, the author sheds light on how biographers bring their subjects to life and offers captivating insights into the art of life-writing, articulating and redefining the parameters of this craft with wit and eloquence.