British Biography: A ReaderBiography as a literary genre is largely the product of the eighteenth century and of one seminal work, James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson (1791). Boswell's innovations revolutionized the genre and made it the target of suppression and censorship. He sought not only to memorialize a great man but also to reveal his flaws. Boswell reported long stretches of Johnson's conversation, noted his mannerisms, and in general gave an intimate picture such as no biography had ever before dared to attempt. After Boswell, there was a retreat from his bolder innovations, which amounted to self-censorship on the biographer's part. When Thomas Carlyle's biographer, James Anthony Froude, braved this trend against truth and allowed his subject's dark side to show, he was vilified in the press. The tensions between discretion and candor have endured in British biography since Froude, a point Carl Rollyson makes in the reviews of contemporary British biographers he includes in British Biography, which also contains Johnson's full-length biography of Richard Savage, excerpts from Boswell's Life of Johnson as well selections from and commentaries on Southey's biography of Nelson, Mrs. Gaskell's biography of Charlotte Bront, and the revolutionary work of Froude and Strachey. |
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... conversation, noted hismannerisms, and in general gave an intimate picturesuch as nobiography had ever before dared to attempt. After Boswell, there was a retreat from his bolder innovations, which amounted to selfcensorship on the ...
... conversation with one of his servants,than from aformal and studied narrative, begun with his pedigree,and ended with hisfuneral.” Thebiographer understands the problem of treadingon the sensibilities ofthe “many who think it an act of ...
... conversation with one of his servants, than froma formal andstudied narrative, begun with his pedigree and endedwith his funeral. *** [10] There are, indeed, some natural reasons why these narratives are often written by such as were ...
... conversation and touched withhis misfortunes, that sheallowed him asettledpension of fiftypounds a year,which was duringherlife regularlypaid. [43] That this act of generosity may receive its due praise, and that the good actions of Mrs ...
... conversation mentioned him sometimes with acrimony,and generally withcontempt; ashewas one ofthosewho were always zealous in their assertions of the justice of thelate opposition, jealous of therights ofthe people, and alarmed bythe ...
Contents
READINGS THE RAMBLER NO 60 JOHNSONS LIFE OF SAVAGE 1744 | |
EXCEPT FROM ROBERT SOUTHEYS LIFE OF NELSON | |
EXCERPTS FROM ELIZABETH GASKELLS LIFEOF | |
EXCERPT FROM FROUDES LIFE OF CARLYLE | |
LYTTON STRACHEY EMINENT VICTORIANS 1918 | |
REVIEWS | |
JOHN FOWLES | |