| Biography: A Very Short Introduction Contributor(s): Lee, Hermione (Author) |
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ISBN: 0199533547 ISBN-13: 9780199533541 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA OUR PRICE: $11.69 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: August 2009 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Historical - Biography & Autobiography | Literary Figures - Language Arts & Disciplines | Writing - General |
| Dewey: 809.935 |
| Series: Very Short Introductions |
| Physical Information: 0.5" H x 4.3" W x 6.8" (0.35 lbs) 192 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Hermione Lee is one of the leading literary biographers in the English-speaking world, the author of widely acclaimed lives of Edith Wharton and Virginia Woolf. Now, in this Very Short Introduction, Lee provides a magnificent look at the genre in which she is an undisputed master--the art of biography. Here Lee considers the cultural and historical background of different types of biographies, looks at the factors that affect biographers, and asks whether there are different strategies, ethics, and principles required for writing about one person compared to another. She also discusses contemporary biographical publications and considers what kind of lives are the most popular and in demand. And along the way, she answers such questions as why do certain people and historical events arouse so much interest? How can biographies be compared with history and works of fiction? Does a biography need to be true? Is it acceptable to omit or conceal things? Does the biographer need to personally know the subject? Must a biographer be subjective? About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam. |