Dorothy Canfield Fisher: A Biography

by Ida H. Washington

Book by Washington, Ida H.

258 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1982

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very readable account, not so much of Dorothy Canfield Fisher's life, as of her written works. Indeed, the focus is so very much on Canfield's ouvre, that I almost hesitated to put it on my "biographies" shelf. Of course much of the opening sections about Canfield's parents and her childhood and youth are perforce biographical (and a few more biographical details do creep in later, albeit unobtrusively). but once Dorothy reaches the point of her life where she starts publishing, the organizing principle of Ida Washington's work becomes apparent; each section focuses on the writing of a certain group of titles. Rather oddly, Washington discusses all the novels one after the other (this was the best part), then turns her attention to the short stories, then to works of non-fiction, then to works for children, and so on. This makes so little sense, because starting a new section very often means jumping back in time, since of course Canfield didn't write her novels all in one go, and then move on to other formats. It also makes the book progressively weaker, because by the end of it, we are being asked to give our attention to some very obscure things -- the third and fourth pages of her title list on goodreads, as it were. Would it have been so hard to discuss each work chronologically within the overall framework of the unfolding of Canfield's life?

I did enjoy the book, especially the first half, to an extent that surprised me. Washington discusses the plots of the stories, but not in a heavy academic style. Reading about the novels, their genesis, how the writing process went, what the editor thought, what the public reaction was, which reviews made Dorothy laugh, etc. was surprisingly engrossing, and the experience felt like having a good chat with someone who has shared my pleasure in (most of) the books. I certainly wouldn't recommend this "biography" to anyone who's not already well steeped Canfield's fiction. When Washington first turned her attention to Gunhilde, the earliest of the novels, I wondered if I should actually read it for myself before proceeding (it is, as of this writing, the only one of the novels I haven't read). Two and a half pages later, I was glad I didn't wait -- it certainly sounds like one that can be skipped. However, when we got to Bonfire, a much more mature book, I did actually set the book aside, and went and ordered myself a copy online, and that was also the right decision. It was rewarding to read about the public reaction to the book, immediately after having read it myself.

By coincidence, at the same time I acquired this book, I also picked up another biography of Canfield that is even more problematic, but in a very different way. The Lady from Vermont: Dorothy Canfield Fisher's Life and World by Elizabeth Yates is written in a rather gushing tone, and in the style of a novel, with quotation marks around dialogue and everything. I stopped reading at the point when Yates describes the joyful innermost thoughts of five-year-old James Canfield as he gazes at his newborn baby sister for the first time (at last, a playmate! she has him thinking. Um, somehow I doubt this). It seems there is certainly an unfilled niche for a proper biography of Dorothy Canfield -- the only catch is that so few people care about her nowadays!

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn on how to rate this. It was a great book if you were looking for something that really delved into her writing. I was looking for and expecting more of a traditional biography focused on her life.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not the biography that I as hoping it would be. It was more of a literary analysis.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is more about the work than the life. Good, but not great. Again, however, I find myself admiring Canfield Fisher's integrity and selfless compassion. I ponder her strong sense of Vermont values; she was convinced that Vermont had a particular claim to being more committed to democracy, compassion, and tolerance than other places. Maybe it was really a product of the kind of rural, small-town living possible here in the 1920s and 1930s. I mean, I love Vermont as much as anyone. But I don't know if I can say Vermont is objectively better, or its people objectively better than people elsewhere. Maybe it was just what she noticed more here than in other places. Lots to think about. Next, I hope to read "A Harvest of Stories" by DCF. Setting myself up with a little mini-course on DCF.

[Lisa May · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting overview of Dorothy Canfield's writing career, with detailed analysis of her books, but not as much a biography of the person as I'd looked for.