Biographies

[thegreenthing]

I reecently finished Bob Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles, and I thought it was quite a nice read. He does have a very nice language and is (unlike some other writers of autobiographys) not too kind on himself. My general question is; is there any biography (not neceserily auto) you could recommend, and what do you think about biographies as literature, are they worth reading in context to other literature or would you not spend a minute of life reading one?

[ballb]

Michael Foot`s two volume biography of Nye Bevan is a masterpiece if you enjoy great writing and have an interest in British politcal history.

Ian Kershaw`s two volume biography of Hitler is superb. It doesn`t feel anything like 1600 pages. Unusually for an academic Professor Kershaw can write.

If a biography is informative, about an interesting subject and above all, well written, it is a worthwhile genre.

[Kafka's Crow]

Samuel Knowlson's Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett. This used to be my daily read for a very long time. I find myself going back to this one book again and again:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Damned-Fame-Life-Samuel-Beckett/dp/0747531692/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=gateway&qid=1201718578&sr=8-1

[ivette]

I like reading biographies because it's always interesting to read something about a person you admire. But they really have to be well written, not just pages of plain facts.
One which I thought was good was Mata Hari's biography. She was very mysterious person so the book was obviously interesting, maybe just a little biast. But I can't remember the author :blush:

[Niamh]

Never really got in to biographies. I suppose it would be nice to learn alot about other peoples lives. Maybe i should read more biographies on Authors. One of the only ones I've read is My Uncle John by Edward Stephens on the life of J.M.Synge.

[thegreenthing]

What I like about biographies is not just the way they give a portrait of the person it's about, but also how they give you a picture of the time and place of the events desribed. At least if they're accurate...

[byquist]

Bios are great. Recommend "Anton Chekhov" by Donald Rayfield, 1997, almost 600 pgs. but it's good, and obtained new, secret and confidential info from the Kremlin archives after they became more open.

[ex ponto]

Knut Hamsun "On Overgrown Paths" - a splendid book by a Norwegian Nobel prize winner; autobiography but only about his last years. That's the last book he had written.
And he himself read only biographies in those years.
Les Memoires de Lois de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon - a huge but very interesting read, Marcel Proust's favourite. You'll get a vivid picture of life on Louis XIV court; those people were so unnatural and so natural at the same time.

[Hira]

I've never really read any biographies ever except that of J.R.R. Tolkien by Humphrey Carpenter and I truly loved it. The language, which flowed very freely, combined with the details of Tolkien's life made it a very wonderful read.

[Dori]

I've never really read any biographies ever except that of J.R.R. Tolkien by Humphrey Carpenter and I truly loved it. The language, which flowed very freely, combined with the details of Tolkien's life made it a very wonderful read.

I agree. :) It's the best biography of Tolkien I've read.

[blazeofglory]

Autobiographies are at times full of idiosyncrasies, and often they reflect somebody's egoism and nothing else. Everybody is special in this world, and everyone is not less unique. It is not that you have read too much, hold big ranks, and have good connections that you are great.

Anybody' life whether she or he is a laborer or a prime minister, is interesting and all go through unique experiences.

[Hira]

I agree. :) It's the best biography of Tolkien I've read.

It was, wasn't it? Lovely. I am not aware of any other biography of Tolkien. Is there any?

[novelsryou]

I'm reading Korda's Ike at the moment. It's a great read.

[Dori]

It was, wasn't it? Lovely. I am not aware of any other biography of Tolkien. Is there any?

I've read the biography done by Michael Coren (http://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Created-Scholastic-Biography/dp/0439342503/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202298586&sr=8-38), but this lacked in several places.

I own another biography that was better than Coren's, but the author escapes me. :(

I also own the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (http://www.amazon.com/Letters-J-R-R-Tolkien-J-R/dp/0618056998/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202298550&sr=8-24), but I haven't read this yet.

[Hira]

I've read the biography done by Michael Coren (http://www.amazon.com/J-R-R-Tolkien-Created-Scholastic-Biography/dp/0439342503/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202298586&sr=8-38), but this lacked in several places.

I own another biography that was better than Coren's, but the author escapes me. :(

I also own the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (http://www.amazon.com/Letters-J-R-R-Tolkien-J-R/dp/0618056998/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202298550&sr=8-24), but I haven't read this yet.

Is that by Micheal White (was in the link you gave me)?

I've heard about the letters, that they shed a lot of light on Tolkien's works and life. They are the ones compiled by Humphrey Carpenter, aren't they? You gotta read them!

[Dori]

Is that by Micheal White (was in the link you gave me)?

I've heard about the letters, that they shed a lot of light on Tolkien's works and life. They are the ones compiled by Humphrey Carpenter, aren't they? You gotta read them!

No, the link directs you to the bio done by Micheal Coren. I also own the one by Michael White, but I was unable to find that on Amazon.com.

I'll be sure to read Tolkien's letters. :)

[annakarina]

I loved Jessica Mitford's autobiography "Hons and Rebels" (I think the american edition has a slightly different title), thought it was absolutely enchanting and very revealing if you're into the whole Mitford saga.

[Hira]

No, the link directs you to the bio done by Micheal Coren. I also own the one by Michael White, but I was unable to find that on Amazon.com.

I'll be sure to read Tolkien's letters. :)

Yes, it does direct me to that, but Michael White was mentioned in one of the reviews.

Yes, I looked for them in this local online bookstore but no luck!