Michael J Benton

Literary Biography

An Introduction

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Literary Biography: An Introduction illustrates and accounts for the literary genre that merges verifiable historical facts with the familiar conventions of narrative. It also reveals how the biographical context can enrich our understanding and appreciation of canonical authors. Thematically linked chapters trace the genre's development, define its primary characteristics, and illuminate its connections with fiction and portraiture. Further insights are gained by approaching literary biography from historical, comparative, inferential and autobiographical perspectives. Examples are drawn from the mainstream literary canon and include a variety of classical and contemporary authors ranging from Shakespeare, Dickens, Blake and Wordsworth to the Brontës, Hardy, Plath and Larkin. Biographical writers discussed feature both seminal figures such as Johnson, Boswell and Woolf to distinguished present-day biographers including Hermione Lee, Richard Holmes, Peter Ackroyd, Claire Tomalin and Michael Holroyd. Literary Biography: An Introduction offers an erudite and insightful introduction into the history, theory and practice of the increasingly popular literary genre of life-writing.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley
• Seitenzahl: 280
• Erscheinungstermin: 12. Oktober 2009
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 231mm x 152mm x 23mm
• Gewicht: 576g
• ISBN-13: 9781405194464
• ISBN-10: 1405194464
• Artikelnr.: 31688926

Autorenporträt

Michael Benton is Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Southampton. His publications include the highly influential Teaching Literature 9-14 (with Geoff Fox, 1985) and several widely used anthologies of poetry, most notably the Touchstones series (with Peter Benton, various editions 1968-2008). His most recent book was Studies in the Spectator Role: Literature, Painting and Pedagogy (2000).

Inhaltsangabe

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. Literary Biography Now and Then

2. Life [Hi]Stories: Telling Tales

3. Reading Biography

4. Literary Biomythography

5. Inferential Biography: Shakespeare the Invisible Man

6. Literary Biography and Portraiture

7. Comparative Biography: Dickens's'Lives'

8. Literary Auto/Biography

9. Biography in Practice

10. Authorised Lives

11. Literary Lives: Scenes and Stories

12. Biography and the Future

Select Bibliography

Further Reading

General Bibliography

Index

Rezensionen

"Last year I was sent Michael Benton's Literary Biography: AnIntroduction prior to publication, and was happy to supply arecommendation for the dust jacket. I described it then as an"elegant. introduction which is likely to appeal to bothestablished scholars and to the growing number of universitystudents who study the subject at all levels." Having read the bookagain for the purposes of this review, I am happy to stand by myinitial response. Indeed, I would add that the book is sufficientlyrich and thoughtful to provide an even more enjoyable andinformative reading experience the second time around."(Biography, Summer 2010)

"A general reader with an interest in literature or biography orboth will find much of interest here." (M/C Reviews, March2010)

"Lucid and intelligent." (The Times Literary Supplement,November 2009)"Here is an admirably lucid yet sophisticated introduction to thatmost venerable and enjoyable of genres, literary biography. Oftenperceived as a 'Cinderella' subject, of only marginal interest tothe academy, literary biography has not always received the kind ofsustained, intelligent scrutiny which it deserves. Michael Bentongoes a long way towards righting this wrong with this elegantintroduction which is likely to appeal to both established scholarsand to the growing number of university students who study thesubject at all levels."
--Kathryn Hughes, Professor of Life Writing, University ofEast Anglia

"Provides tutors and students with a useful means of entry to acomplex and rapidly developing area of debate."
--Dinah Birch, University of Liverpool

"I found this book both highly enjoyable and informative. It issimply excellent - very well written, elegant in structureand individual phrasing, a fascinating topic and a provocativeintroduction to a range of biographies."
--Geoff Fox, Exeter University