Chekhov's Mistress
Revisiting the Borges Biography reviews:
Salon.com has a look at the new Borges biography. Despite positive reviews, I am now a bit reluctant to buy it after reading Michael Dirda’s Washington Post thoughts: He says “Williamson appears to have only the slightest interest in, say, ‘The Zahir’ or ‘The Aleph’ as highly original works of art. They are viewed as refractions of their author’s emotional crises.”
When I read a biography, my purpose is twofold. One, I’ve never been a fan of history books, but I think that biography is an interesting lens in which to view the “Moveable Feast” of past times. Even one life can easily tell the tale of a generation if the subject is engaged in changing their world in one way or another.
Also, in literary terms, it’s interesting to have a flavor for the author’s milieu if it helps to put their writing in context. For instance, Camus’ works, in my opinion, are only interesting in context of the environment in which he wrote them and the beliefs that informed them (ouch, stop throwing things!). Beyond that, and a certain amount of curious idolatry, the only reason I can think of is to get perspective on an author’s literary influences, but that hardly seems a good reason to read a biography.
I don’t believe an author’s work should be seen as biographical. In other words, it is of no interest to me if Lewis Carroll was a paedophile, or Borges was a “wimp;” I don’t think it informs the work. So despite my early enthusiasm, I think I will put off getting the Borges bio for another day.
Read widely, think well, and write often.
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About this Post
- Posted by: Bud Parr
- Date: August 27, 2004
- Filed Under:
Wise Men Fish Here: Literature
- Comments:0
- Links to this Post: Technorati
