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.
Author: Hermione Lee
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 08/31/2009
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 6.80h x 4.30w x 0.50d
ISBN13: 9780199533541
ISBN10: 0199533547
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Historical
- Biography & Autobiography | Literary Figures
- Language Arts & Disciplines | Writing | General
Author: Hermione Lee
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 08/31/2009
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 6.80h x 4.30w x 0.50d
ISBN13: 9780199533541
ISBN10: 0199533547
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Historical
- Biography & Autobiography | Literary Figures
- Language Arts & Disciplines | Writing | General
About the Author
Hermione Lee was the Goldsmiths' Chair of English Literature and Fellow of New College at the University of Oxford. In 2008, Lee was elected President of Wolfson College, University of Oxford. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, of the British Academy, and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2003, she was made a Companion of the British Empire for Services to Literature.