Emily Dickinson: An Interpretive Biography

by Thomas H. Johnson

Examines the New England poet's quiet, yet complete world as well as the structure and themes of her book

Genres: Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unreadable and with a rabidly religious bent that reveals only how little we know of the life of this woman. Can’t believe this was assigned college reading.

[Fernanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading a biography, a good one, of Emily Dickinson had been one of my most recent goals. She's such a great poets and I know hardly anything about her, so when I found this book in a second-hand bookstore I didn't think it twice and got it.
What a disappointment! Even though the author gives some tidbits of what her life should have been. He focuses much more on her work and poesy technicalities and offers little insight in what her world was. Once I finished, I realised I was still waiting for more.

[Jaime Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely is an "interpretive" biography. Seeks to paint a picture based upon a) influence of town, family, and friends; b) influence of select correspondents; and c) her main subjects of nature, death, and immortality. Written by the scholar who compiled a collection of her poems and a collection of her letters.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emily Dickinson was such a stuck up coward! (No offense, of course)