NONFICTION

Life & Work: Writers, Readers, and the Conversations Between Them

by Tim Parks
Yale Univ. Jun. 2016. 320p. index. ISBN 9780300215366. $35. LIT
COPY ISBN
Are fiction writers and readers influenced by their personal histories? Noted literary critic and author Parks (Europa) proposes that tensions among competing values provide a world in which book lovers discover and construct their own personalities. The first 17 essays focus on the biographical influences of generations of authors from Charles Dickens to Haruki Murakami. Novelists and playwrights presented include Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, Muriel Spark, J.M. Coetzee, and Dave Eggers. The final pieces examine the atmosphere in three contemporary works: Peter Matthiessen's In Paradise (2014), Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2008), and E.L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey (2012), each offering a diverse platform to explore complicated topics such as the Holocaust, evil, and sex. Overall, the leap Parks takes from Dickens's Great Expectations in the opening essay to James's Fifty Shades of Grey in the final discussion is noteworthy.
VERDICT This wide-ranging anthology of 20 previously published writings offers a springboard for both literary and popular fiction discussions. The rewards are great for serious readers.
Reviewed by Joyce Sparrow, Kenneth City, FL , Jun 01, 2016
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

Women Money Power: The Rise and Fall of Economic Equality
by Cox, Josie
NONFICTION

House Love: A Joyful Guide to Cleaning, Organizing, and Loving the Home You’re In
by Richardson, Patric & Karin Miller
NONFICTION

The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt
by Llewellyn-Jones, Lloyd
NONFICTION

Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs
by Hari, Johann
NONFICTION

Rolling: Blackness and Mediated Comedy
NONFICTION

The Last Decade of Cinema: 25 Films from the Nineties
by Ryan, Scott
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?