Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies

Lives

by Kathleen Krull, Kathryn Hewitt (Illustrator)

Shakespeare wrote with a feather quill and ink; Emily Dickinson wrote with a fountain pen; Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote on a Yiddish typewriter. But what did such writers do when they weren't writing? What did Jane Austen eat for breakfast? What could make Mark Twain throw his shirts out the window? Why would Zora Neale Hurston punch a fellow elevator passenger? Lives of the Writers tells all that and more.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Picture Books, Audiobook, Writing

96 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. Not as great as I had hoped. Enough to remind me again that I prefer most authors' writing, and NOT their lives! Definitely some weird, messed up people. Quick facts to keep a younger person's interest, though not much for them to do anything with. I'm not sure what audience this would work for, since I was only interested because I enjoy classic literature and was an English major. This book seems aimed at ages 8-12. Are there children that age who are interested in knowing biographical facts of classic writers? A few facts that might help with research, but not much.

I'm off on what audience they are aiming for. I also didn't like how many instances of speculation there were. I'd prefer facts rather than "it could have been because..."

Not sure who to recommend this to.

[Elruin Elmsroot · Rating 2 out of 5]

An informative book on the lives of some writers. But way too short for my taste.

[JZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, sweet, serendipity.

Murasaki Shikibu was a surprise entry. Not her real name, but taken from her diary. The author of what is considered the first novel, ever: "Tales of Genji" written around 1000CE. Rare that a woman was allowed to have an education, so she got a 'job' at the palace in the court, where she was sexually harassed. The more things change...

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! I would say it's for maybe 5th grade and up. Each biography is only a couple of pages. The tone is a bit gossipy without being salacious. I think Charles Dickens might have had OCD.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Krull does it again. Twenty famous writers' lives are ripe for the picking. Infused with the juiciest of tidbits (enough to keep even the most reluctant middle schooler sit up and take notice), I've personally bookmarked POE, DICKENS and DICKINSON for future use with my students.

Highly recommended.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of this series for obvious reasons.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lives of the Writers was a 4-star read for me. I originally picked it up because it included E.B. White and I am currently doing a "deep dive" into Charlotte's Web, but I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. It contains brief biographical information and at least one interesting or intriguing anecdote about each of 20 well-known writers.

The information is, for the most part, engaging and easily accessible to most readers. I was not familiar with only one of the writers (Murasaki Shikibu). Both biographical and anecdotal stories for the writers about whom I already know a great deal (Dickens, Shakespeare, Poe. Twain, Dickinson and White) did not provide any new information or insights. However, I did learn some interesting things about Louisa May Alcott, Zora Neale Hurston & Langston Hughes, among others. Sadly, only 7 of the authors are women and only 3 are writers of color, but Lives of the Writers does provide a terrific jumping off point for kids to study these authors and their work more in depth.

Authors included in this collection:

Murasaki Shikibu
Miguel de Cervantes
William Shakespeare
Jane Austen
Hans Christian Andersen
Edgar Allan Poe
Charles Dickens
Charlotte & Emily Bronte
Emily Dickinson
Louisa May Alcott
Mark Twain
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Robert Louis Stevenson
Jack London
Carl Sandburg
E. B. White
Zora Neale Hurston
Langston Hughes
Isaac Bashevis Singer

This book might also be used as a companion for fictional middle-grade stories that involve some of these great authors as characters:

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary L. Blackwood (William Shakespeare)
Another Day as Emily by Eileen Spinelli (Emily Dickinson)
The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy (Charles Dickens)
The Man Who Was Poe by Avi (Edgar Allan Poe)

[Clued-in With A Book (Elvina Ulrich) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This light-hearted book is a collection of 20 biographies of famous writers, such as Poe, Austen, Dickens, Twain, and many more; which features some personal details about their lives. For example, did you know that Dickens believed that Fridays was his lucky day? This is an interesting book and I always enjoy books with collection of stories/biographies. Sometimes you just feel like reading something simple and fun akin to watching a tv sitcom instead of a movie.

There are so much information that you can actually write about these writers and deciding the right ones is not an easy task. I think the author did a wonderful job in putting the right and interesting details about these writers in this book.

I listened to an audiobook for this and the narrators (Melissa Hughes & John C. Brown) did a great job! The intonation and nuances were done perfectly rendering this book such a delight and easy to listen to.

In a nutshell, the brevity of each biography made this an easy read and is a good way to introduce young readers to these famous writers. If you are curious about what these writers do when they weren't writing or just want the occasional indulging in juicy tidbits, this is the book for you!

[Emily]

Have you ever wondered who the most famous writers in history are? Well, this book not only talks about their views on literature but their lives behind the writing. As us being readers and them being writers we both portray and perceive the world of literature very differently. William Shakespeare is known for his famous comedies, tragedies, historical plays, and sonnets.

” ...Shakespeare wrote poetry, including 154 sonnets.”(pg 21) Shakespeare thought writing 2 plays a year was sufficient, he wrote 38 plays in all. “The large restless audiences worked hard for the pennies that bought tickets.”(pg. 20) This book not only mentions Shakespeare but the most impactful writers to us today. I would rate this book a 5/5 it is beneficial for people who would like to know what writers made writing better today.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book with basic info on the lives (and some personal quirks that were fun to read about) of a variety of writers. Includes Dickens, Shakespeare, Poe, the Bronte sisters, and quite a few others (20 in all). Each gets a few pages and it's set up in a format that makes it interesting to read about each one, even if you wouldn't have known who they are beforehand, and doesn't really mention much about their actual work, which in a way was refreshing. Can be read in one sitting, but I stretched it out when I had a little time here and there. This was a gift to me, because of Dickens being included.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling!

I loved learning about the lives of writers that you usually don't hear about. Usually you talk about them in terms of their work, or sometimes even their inspiration, but rarely do you talk about them as whole people. This book did exactly that. As it turns out, many writers' lives are just as fascinating as the stories they wrote!

I'm so glad I chose to read this whimsical book.

[Bonni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook. I thought it was a little weird that there were two readers--one for male writers and the other for female writers. I did enjoy learning from the short biographies. I usually think of writers as introverts, but learning about Mark Twain's boisterous personality changed my opinion. I was disappointed when the book ended without covering more modern day authors, but I guess that's what author websites are for.

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book and the way she writes. I have read several of hers now. She gives just enough information. A few pages on each writer. These books may be for children, but I sure love and learn from them and then they always take me on different rabbit trails of learning. After reading this book, I'd actually like to read a few biographies on some of the writers.

Very fun too!

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short Biographies of noteworthy writers. I felt this book was a little politically correct motivated in the fact that some obscure writers were mentioned and others were not. Why didn't they mention Harriet Beecher Stowe, a woman, a writer, and a great antislavery advocate. Maybe because she was also a Christian and her books had strong moral messages? I just was unimpressed with this one.

[Mary Ellin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love to read, you’ll like these quick-to-read bios of some of the world’s favorite authors. Interesting to learn which were poor and which rich, their quirks and habits, and how many spouses they went through.

[Kk · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!!!

Sometimes learning about the lives of those who write such memorable tales is just as interesting as what they write. Worth a listen if you like learning of what pushed the greats to pick up a pen..

[Helen Lemus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations. There were so many little interesting details about all my favorite authors. I used to read Jack London as a child. Found out in this book that he and his wife would pass the time by boxing! Ouch.

Highly recommend. Young readers.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot even begin to say how much I love this series!!! The info is fascinating and the Kathryn Hewitt illustrations are magnificent. I might want to buy the whole series and read the books again and again.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, simple biographies of 20 different writers.

[Mary Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet I recommend this to the curious young Writers of Modern day middle and high school.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a good book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a children's book but it was interesting to me because it gives 2-4 page details about the lives of some famous classical writers such as Shakespeare, Bronte sisters, Dickinson, etc.

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as good as I remember from reading this as a kid.

[Susan Forsgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enthralling non-fiction.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, entertaining and interesting read!

[Poet Felon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow biographies, breif sketches of famous writers. I suspect this book was written in a weekend.

[Noortje de Graaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fun facts about mostly english writers, but wished the entries had been longer

[Paula Claunch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it - would be great to read a more adult version of it!

[Irina Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried reading this series to my kids but felt it was too serious. I enjoyed it though. These are very interesting mini biographies.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collective biography features the intimate details of the lives of some of literature’s most important figures – Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Shakespeare among others. Children’s authors such as E.B. White and Hans Christian Andersen round out the collection, providing children not only with glimpses into the authors behind the books they will read in school, but also into ones they will read at home.

The book is organized by chronology, from Murasaki Shikibu in the tenth century to Isaac Bashevis Singer of the twentieth. Krull devotes a few pages to each author, beginning with information on dates and places of births and deaths, as well as a small blurb on each author’s most famous accomplishments. The information included in the brief biographies focuses more on the day-to-day lifestyles of the authors and is filled with humorous and intriguing anecdotes about their lives. The inclusion of details of the private lives of the authors will leave children feeling like they are being let in on behind-the-scenes gossip. As Publisher’s Weekly proclaims, Krull “goes right for the juicy stuff, adding to historical fact the kind of chatty incidentals and amusing anecdotes that put flesh and blood on dry literary bones” (Amazon.com 2004). Children will be delighted to discover that Mark Twain was a poor investor, that the shy and reclusive Emily Dickinson loved to play hide-and-seek as a child, and that the Bronte sisters invented their own imaginary kingdom at an early age. These anecdotes have a humanizing effect, providing a face, personality, and motivation for the authors behind the books. Children will also be provided with insights into the social mores and beliefs of the times, providing the life stories with a sense of perspective and history. Young readers will be interested to note, for example, the limitations imposed upon writers like Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters because of their gender. Krull introduces the feeling towards women in Murasaki Shikibu’s time by revealing the attitude of her father:

“Murasaki Shikibu excelled at her studies. ‘Just my luck,’ her father would sigh. ‘If only you were a boy – how proud I would be’…Murasaki took to concealing some of her learning, such as her ability to write and read in Chinese – considered then to be impossible tasks for women” (11).

Each biography is concluded with a listing of trivia about the author’s major works. Since many of the biographies focus more on personal lives rather than a history of the authors’ writing careers, these blurbs add to children’s understanding of each author’s major literary accomplishments. Krull also provides a list of resources for further reading at the end of the book, as well as a list of literary terms and their definitions.

Krull’s book is solidly written, avoiding the interspersion of fiction with the facts. Direct quotes are included to provide a sense of authenticity and to highlight the author’s thoughts and feelings. Krull makes it clear when the information given is known to be speculation, as occurs sometimes with the writers of the distant past.

Caricatures by Kathryn Hewitt accompany each author’s information, portraying the authors in the context of some of the life details provided in the text. Rich and warm colors lend a human element to the highly exaggerated figures, and the steadfast attention to detail will delight the eyes. The “childlike” Hans Christian Andersen is shown cutting out paper dolls, while Shakespeare is depicted looming over the Globe Theater, acting as a puppeteer. In addition, each author is shown in authentic dress of his or her time. Readers will smile to see Mark Twain depicted in his familiar white suit, while Murasaki Shikibu is attired in the gauze robes of the tenth century Japanese court.