The Literary Life and Other Curiosities

by Robert Hendrickson

Book Overview

If you're ever tempted to think, as a writer, "nobody knows the trouble I've seen," reach for this volume put together by Robert Hendrickson and let your spirits be comforted by the fact that the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0156527871
• ISBN13: 9780156527873
• Release Date: May 1994
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P
• Length: 498 Pages
• Weight: 2.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 7.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A Potpourri of Literary Trivia

This book proves the old adage that, in order to write an entertaining book, you must work very hard. It is obvious that the author did a lot of very serious research. For example, he checked over 2000 authors' biographies to see if it is in fact true that poets are "crazy" (they aren't, in general, but those few who *were* are rather interesting.) He collected numerous bad reviews of plays and books--not only the well-known put-downs by Dorothy Parker, but also witty reviews by a obscure critics (such as the one-word review of play called "WHAM!": "Ouch!") He explains the true literary origin of many famous sayings, giving the saying's original form and explaining how it changed over time. He corrects, when possible, the incorrect attribution of a witty quote (it was *not* Mark Twain who said that Wagner's music "isn't as bad as it sounds"). He adds a list of unlikely books banned in history history with exact times and dates; and so on. There is much more, of course. Virtually every item in this list of curiousities is, indeed, witty and entertaining, at least to those interested in literature. A complete list of references would have been nice, but it is understandable that it is omitted, as it would have probably made the book twice as long. In sum, and enjoyable *and* educational read.

A pleasant collection of trivia

Think of this as a primer for the brown questions in Trivial Pursuit, both in the nature of its short, pithy paragraphs and subject matter. I kept this book by my bedside as something I could read and put down at any time without having to worry about dropping the thread of the narrative. Hendrickson has brought together in one book all the myriad anecdotes, witticisms, and lists about books and authors, as well as a new chapter in this revised edition "Of Editors and Agents." This book won't change your life, but if you love writers and writing, it makes for many evenings' pleasant divertimento.

Entertaining and informative

Definetly one of my favorite books of this kind. The anecdotes are written in an entertaining, breezy style. It is packed with informaiton. Every time I open it, I find something new. It's the kind of book you can return to frequently because it has so much content, you can't remember it all. When you go back, it's fresh again. With an index, it is also a valuable reference book. Recommended.

Utterly delightful

A wonderful hodgepodge of facts, myths, quotes, quips, quizzes, puzzles, and anecdotes, this book approaches the history of literature and its many great (and non-great) contributors with just the right mixture of sympathy and irreverence. The book is hilarious and often touching, but most impressively, it manages to educate while being wholly undemanding on the reader. It's a lovely bathroom book for bibliophiles, and I sincerely recommend it