Literary Biography: An Introduction

"Last year I was sent Michael Benton's Literary Biography: An Introduction prior to publication, and was happy to supply a recommendation for the dust jacket. I described it then as an "elegant. introduction which is likely to appeal to both established scholars and to the growing number of university students who study the subject at all levels." Having read the book again for the purposes of this review, I am happy to stand by my initial response. Indeed, I would add that the book is sufficiently rich and thoughtful to provide an even more enjoyable and informative reading experience the second time around." (Biography, Summer 2010)

"A general reader with an interest in literature or biography or both will find much of interest here." (M/C Reviews, March 2010)

"Lucid and intelligent." (The Times Literary Supplement, November 2009)

"Here is an admirably lucid yet sophisticated introduction to that most venerable and enjoyable of genres, literary biography. Often perceived as a 'Cinderella' subject, of only marginal interest to the academy, literary biography has not always received the kind of sustained, intelligent scrutiny which it deserves. Michael Benton goes a long way towards righting this wrong with this elegant introduction which is likely to appeal to both established scholars and to the growing number of university students who study the subject at all levels."
—Kathryn Hughes, Professor of Life Writing, University of East Anglia

"Provides tutors and students with a useful means of entry to a complex and rapidly developing area of debate."
—Dinah Birch, University of Liverpool

"I found this book both highly enjoyable and informative. It is simply excellent – very well written, elegant in structure and individual phrasing, a fascinating topic and a provocative introduction to a range of biographies."
—Geoff Fox, Exeter University