Tag Archives: Biography
Turgenev by Henri Troyat Part II
From the safe distance of more than a century, it’s quite clear that Turgenev is, as Russian journalist Leonid Parfyonov states: “seen as the leader of the ‘Western’ liberals and Dostoevsky [was] the leader of the Slavophile conservatives,” but at … Continue reading
Filed under Non Fiction, Troyat Henri, Turgenev
Turgenev by Henri Troyat Part I
I’ve enjoyed a couple of Turgenev novels (Home of the Gentry & Fathers & Sons) and I plan on reading other titles starting in 2011. It seemed like a good time to move into a Turgenev bio, so I picked … Continue reading
Filed under Non Fiction, Troyat Henri, Turgenev
Orwell: Life and Art by Jeffrey Meyers
Orwell spent five years as a policeman in Burma, and he was responsible for the kicking, flogging, torturing and hanging of men. He saw the dirty work of Empire at close quarters and “the horribly ugly, degrading scenes which offend … Continue reading
Filed under Meyers Jeffrey, Orwell George
The Man Who Wasn’t Maigret: A Portrait of Georges Simenon by Patrick Marnham
For those who don’t know, I am a fan of the romans durs (hard novels) written by Belgium author, Georges Simenon. I may also be a fan of his Inspector Maigret novels, but it’s too early to say as I haven’t … Continue reading
Filed under Marnham Patrick, Simenon
A glimpse of Peter the Great from Henri Troyat
I came across a section in Henri Troyat’s bio Peter the Great today, and it gave me such a good laugh, I decided to include it here. In 1698, Peter the Great sailed to England for “advanced studies in shipbuilding.” Once in England, the … Continue reading
Filed under Troyat Henri
Lermontov: Tragedy in the Caucasus by Laurence Kelly
‘You have not even started talking to him,’ wrote one acquaintance, ‘but he has already seen through you; he notices everything; his glance is heavy and it is tiring to feel this gaze upon oneself. His presence was unpleasant for the first … Continue reading
Filed under Kelly Laurence
Sid Vicious: Rock ‘n’ Roll Star by Malcolm Butts
“Don’t let them take you alive.” The British Punk Rock band, the Sex Pistols exploded onto the Punk music scene in London in the 70s. They remain, perhaps, the most infamous Punk band–due to their revolutionary, anarchistic message, their violent, … Continue reading
Filed under Butts Malcolm
Not Simply Divine by Bernard Jay
“I’m less trashy than I used to be.” After reading Francis Milstead’s delightful biography, My Son, Divine, my attention was drawn to the biography Not Simply Divine, written by Divine’s personal manager, Bernard Jay. I read many reviews of Jay’s … Continue reading
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My Son Divine by Frances Milstead
A loving tribute to Divine from his mum I first saw Divine in the film Pink Flamingos and I thought he was the most amazing screen presence I’d ever seen. I immediately became a fan, and I followed Divine’s career … Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Three Queer Lives by Paul Bailey
“I was happy not to be a criminal in 1967.” Author Paul Bailey’s introduction to Three Queer Lives focuses on life as a homosexual in Britain before 1967. Prior to 1967, homosexuality was a crime, and Bailey’s subjects–Fred Barnes, Naomi … Continue reading
Filed under Non Fiction
