Bertolt Brecht: A Literary Life

By Stephen Parker

Book Overview

This first English language biography of Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) in two decades paints a strikingly new picture of one of the twentieth century's most controversial cultural icons. First published in 2014 and now available in paperback, it was critically lauded and declared the definitive life of this great artist and writer.

Drawing on letters, diaries and unpublished material, including Brecht's medical records, Parker offers a rich and enthralling account of Brecht's life and work, viewed through the prism of the artist. Tracing his extraordinary life, from his formative years in Augsburg, through the First World War, his politicisation during the Weimar Republic and his years of exile, up to the Berliner Ensemble's dazzling productions in Paris and London, Parker shows how Brecht achieved his transformative effect upon world theatre and poetry.

Bertolt Brecht: A Literary Life is a powerful portrait of a great, compulsively contradictory personality, whose artistry left its lasting imprint on modern culture.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1474240003
• ISBN13: 9781474240000
• Release Date: December 2015
• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Length: 704 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Inaccurate, fawning biography for a bad writer and a bad man.

Stephen Parker fawns over Brecht, continuously rationalizing Brecht's terrible decisions and lack of talent. Brecht was a sociopath, a plagiarizer, a misogynist and a hack. Parker's biography glosses over pretty much every piece of fact that would give us the truth in order to elevate someone who has already received too much fame for doing too little. For an honest look at the man and his work, read John Fuegi's book Brecht & Co. instead.