Thomas Wolfe: A Biography

by Elizabeth Nowell

BOOK

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

456 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1960

Reviews

[Sheldon Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a sucker for books about writers, I picked this up in a thrift for a buck. It was a book of the month club selection back in the day. It's a hell of a good read. Wolfe died at 37, but he packed a lot of life into those short years. If you like insight into genius, this read is for you.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, pretty good. Interesting that she sort of writes about him in a style that reminds me of his writing. You know how each really good author has a "voice"? Well, I can sort of hear shades of his voice in her writing at times. I will only rate this after I am done. I am not entirely sure how I feel about it yet, It's not "spell-binding", but it is absorbing.

PS- with all the entries I have on Goodreads, I don't know why none of them are listed here. I have scads of books reviewed, and they should be all over this sector.

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth Nowells book is a masterful combination of a biography of Wolfe's life and an anthology of his letters and papers. Together the two paint a picture of an incredibly talented author with deep, complex emotional and psychological feelings that make his written works unique in a host of respects. Personal disclaimer: I grew up in North Carolina when Wolfe was still a cultural icon in the state, and his books were a frequent topic of conversation at our family dinner table. To revisit Wolfe's life and literary achievements in Nowell's book was a personal delight.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nowell definitely channels Wolfe's writing method -- stream of consciousness -- in her biography of her client. It does give a real feel for him, but like his books, it is rather long. One swims and floats along this river, it's almost like a final novel. A pleasant excursion.

[Benjamin Woody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great anecdotes, but Nowell was Tom's agent so she is a little too close to the man to be unsparing.