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Writers Between the Covers: The Scandalous Romantic Lives of Legendary Literary Casanovas, Coquettes, and Cads
What happened off the page was often a lot spicier than what was written on it...
Why did Norman Mailer stab his second wife at a party? Who was Edith Wharton’s secret transatlantic lover? What motivated Anaïs Nin to become a bigamist?
Writers Between the Covers rips the sheets off these and other real-life love stories of the literati—some with fairy tale endings and others that resulted in break-ups, breakdowns, and brawls. Among the writers laid bare are Agatha Christie, who sparked the largest-ever manhunt in England as her marriage fell apart; Arthur Miller, whose jaw-dropping pairing with Marilyn Monroe proved that opposites attract, at least initially; and T.S. Eliot, who slept in a deckchair on his disastrous honeymoon.
From the best break-up letters to the stormiest love triangles to the boldest cougars and cradle-robbers, this fun and accessible volume—packed with lists, quizzes and in-depth exposés—reveals literary history’s most titillating loves, lusts, and longings.
Why did Norman Mailer stab his second wife at a party? Who was Edith Wharton’s secret transatlantic lover? What motivated Anaïs Nin to become a bigamist?
Writers Between the Covers rips the sheets off these and other real-life love stories of the literati—some with fairy tale endings and others that resulted in break-ups, breakdowns, and brawls. Among the writers laid bare are Agatha Christie, who sparked the largest-ever manhunt in England as her marriage fell apart; Arthur Miller, whose jaw-dropping pairing with Marilyn Monroe proved that opposites attract, at least initially; and T.S. Eliot, who slept in a deckchair on his disastrous honeymoon.
From the best break-up letters to the stormiest love triangles to the boldest cougars and cradle-robbers, this fun and accessible volume—packed with lists, quizzes and in-depth exposés—reveals literary history’s most titillating loves, lusts, and longings.
286 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
12 people are currently reading
637 people want to read
About the author
Shannon McKenna Schmidt
5 books34 followersReader, writer, traveler. Shannon is the author of THE FIRST LADY OF WORLD WAR II: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back (Sourcebooks May 2, 2023). She is also the co-author of NOVEL DESTINATIONS: A Travel Guide to Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West, 2nd Edition and WRITERS BETWEEN THE COVERS: The Scandalous Romantic Lives of Legendary Literary Casanovas, Coquettes, and Cads. www.shannonmckennaschmidt.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 28, 2014
If you personally know an author/writer DO NOT give their significant other this book for Christmas. With the exception of one or two it seems that writers cannot be (1) married, (2) monogamous or (3) happy, they do however derive great inspiration from the muse of disastrous love affairs. Touching on iconic writers from Agatha Christie and Lord Byron through to Hemmingway and Arthur Miller not one sheet is left unturned.
This book is broken into small chapters with whimsical titles like “All War, No Peace: Leo Tolstoy” and “Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: Lord Byron”. The short chapters are a good idea for this type of book as it is not one that you plop yourself down and read in one sitting, it’s more of a sneak a peek when you have just a couple of minutes to read something.
An interesting read.
This book is broken into small chapters with whimsical titles like “All War, No Peace: Leo Tolstoy” and “Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: Lord Byron”. The short chapters are a good idea for this type of book as it is not one that you plop yourself down and read in one sitting, it’s more of a sneak a peek when you have just a couple of minutes to read something.
An interesting read.
November 7, 2013
There’s nothing that strengthens a marriage like spending time with another couple. It’s a bonding experience to dissect their lives afterwards with your spouse and no greater joy than to finish with “thank God we’re not like THEM, honey.”
“Writers Between the Covers” is like a 25-lesson course in couples counseling (with 25 sidebars bearing provocative titles such as “Six Degrees of Copulation,” “Romance with Death,” and “The Wit of a Wounded Woman” in case you didn’t get the point). In fact, the book should carry a warning label for singletons who still believe in true love and happily ever after.
The roll call of disastrous liaisons is longer than the list of alcoholic writers. Many writers drink, but nearly all of them shack up with someone at some time. Authors Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon plowed through an ungodly number of biographies and memoirs to bring back these sometimes hellish tales of loving and losing. There’s Simone de Beauvoir, the feminist icon who procured students for Jean-Paul Sarte. There’s Agatha Christie, who was swept away by her true love, only to be dumped when he tired of her (at her death, she still kept his letters and wedding ring near her). Isak Dinesen got the clap from her husband and endured numerous infidelities. Charles Dickens dumped his wife in a public scandal over an actress. And need I add Lord Byron (affairs, incest, abandonment); F. Scott Fitzgerald (spendthrift, drunk, absconder of Zelda’s journal); Norman Mailer (wife abuser, serial betrayer); and Ernest Hemingway (jerk)?
Even if you avoid the creeps, your partner still might be crazy, like Arthur Miller found with Marilyn Monroe, or Leonard Woolfe with Virginia.
Some, like de Beauvoir, made their peace with the beds they made while others like Daphne du Maurier experienced a lifetime of sorrow. Very few succeeded, like Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas and Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Mostly, it seems like the only success they achieved was to leave behind works of lasting importance. Coincidence?
A confession: while writing “Writers Gone Wild,” I had researched some of the same stories. I’m even publishing an annotated version of Christie’s second novel. Envy and suspicion is in my genes, so while reading a review copy of “Writers Between the Covers,” part of me was standing aside, saying, “Show me.” And they did. They told me new stories and filled in the gaps in the familiar tales. Part of it was due to the authors casting a wider net, telling the story, for example, of Mailer’s lifetime of serial infidelities rather than focusing on the time he stabbed his first wife in the back. They had access to new and more recent biographies and memoirs. Plus, their book is devoted solely to love and sex, which made up a few chapters in my book.
But I can take graciousness only so far. The Christie story was on target, except she hated the quote attributed to her about an archaeologist husband being more interested in you as you get older (it’s in Laura Thompson’s biography).
There. I feel better.
So if you love reading about the lives of great writers, “Writers Between the Covers” will get you between the sheets (and in the case of James Joyce’s dirty letters to Nora, a bit hot and bothered as well). Just don’t give it to your writer-friend’s new spouse. That would be cruel.
(To clarify, I had received an advanced reader's copy of this book. "Writers" is published by Penguin, which also published my "Writers Gone Wild" in 2010. I have no other connection with them.)
“Writers Between the Covers” is like a 25-lesson course in couples counseling (with 25 sidebars bearing provocative titles such as “Six Degrees of Copulation,” “Romance with Death,” and “The Wit of a Wounded Woman” in case you didn’t get the point). In fact, the book should carry a warning label for singletons who still believe in true love and happily ever after.
The roll call of disastrous liaisons is longer than the list of alcoholic writers. Many writers drink, but nearly all of them shack up with someone at some time. Authors Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon plowed through an ungodly number of biographies and memoirs to bring back these sometimes hellish tales of loving and losing. There’s Simone de Beauvoir, the feminist icon who procured students for Jean-Paul Sarte. There’s Agatha Christie, who was swept away by her true love, only to be dumped when he tired of her (at her death, she still kept his letters and wedding ring near her). Isak Dinesen got the clap from her husband and endured numerous infidelities. Charles Dickens dumped his wife in a public scandal over an actress. And need I add Lord Byron (affairs, incest, abandonment); F. Scott Fitzgerald (spendthrift, drunk, absconder of Zelda’s journal); Norman Mailer (wife abuser, serial betrayer); and Ernest Hemingway (jerk)?
Even if you avoid the creeps, your partner still might be crazy, like Arthur Miller found with Marilyn Monroe, or Leonard Woolfe with Virginia.
Some, like de Beauvoir, made their peace with the beds they made while others like Daphne du Maurier experienced a lifetime of sorrow. Very few succeeded, like Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas and Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Mostly, it seems like the only success they achieved was to leave behind works of lasting importance. Coincidence?
A confession: while writing “Writers Gone Wild,” I had researched some of the same stories. I’m even publishing an annotated version of Christie’s second novel. Envy and suspicion is in my genes, so while reading a review copy of “Writers Between the Covers,” part of me was standing aside, saying, “Show me.” And they did. They told me new stories and filled in the gaps in the familiar tales. Part of it was due to the authors casting a wider net, telling the story, for example, of Mailer’s lifetime of serial infidelities rather than focusing on the time he stabbed his first wife in the back. They had access to new and more recent biographies and memoirs. Plus, their book is devoted solely to love and sex, which made up a few chapters in my book.
But I can take graciousness only so far. The Christie story was on target, except she hated the quote attributed to her about an archaeologist husband being more interested in you as you get older (it’s in Laura Thompson’s biography).
There. I feel better.
So if you love reading about the lives of great writers, “Writers Between the Covers” will get you between the sheets (and in the case of James Joyce’s dirty letters to Nora, a bit hot and bothered as well). Just don’t give it to your writer-friend’s new spouse. That would be cruel.
(To clarify, I had received an advanced reader's copy of this book. "Writers" is published by Penguin, which also published my "Writers Gone Wild" in 2010. I have no other connection with them.)
March 14, 2015
By far, this has been one of the most entertaining and enjoyable books I've read this year. It never ceases to fascinate me how some of the most celebrated (and notorious or controversial) writers lived and LOVED. To quote Pat Benatar, "Love is a battlefield." The story cited in this book on the love life of F.Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald amply bears out that quote. I also found interesting Norman Mailer's outlook on love and his relationships with the many women in his life. He seemed to have this need to fully assert his "machismo" and not be outdone by anyone who upset his ego or whom he felt made him feel inadequate or insecure. Example: “…[Norman Mailer] who in print nicknamed his penis the Retaliator seemed genuinely perplexed about why feminists hated him and once asked Gloria Steinem what women had against him. ‘You might try reading your books someday,’ she replied drily.” -- pp. 58-59."
There are also stories on Charles Dickens and his "hidden woman", Richard Wright, T.S. Eliot (who had his first wife committed to an insane asylum), Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas, Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe, Agatha Christie, and Lord Byron (who was, perhaps, the first famous "glamour boy", who attracted droves of adoring women in Regency Era Britain and in Europe through both his looks and poetry like a latter-day rock star attracts groupies) --- just to mention a few. So, if you want to be entertained, by all means read this book. You'll be happy (and delighted) that you did. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
There are also stories on Charles Dickens and his "hidden woman", Richard Wright, T.S. Eliot (who had his first wife committed to an insane asylum), Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas, Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe, Agatha Christie, and Lord Byron (who was, perhaps, the first famous "glamour boy", who attracted droves of adoring women in Regency Era Britain and in Europe through both his looks and poetry like a latter-day rock star attracts groupies) --- just to mention a few. So, if you want to be entertained, by all means read this book. You'll be happy (and delighted) that you did. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
October 7, 2013
This is a great book that deliveries on its title. A coffee table book that lends itself to reading a section and then easily moving on to something else or continuing through the literary gossip that fills its pages. My only complaint is that it was too repetitive in parts and it made me want to stop out of the boredom that comes with the same structure being used to introduce the literary figure over and over again. Even with that complaint I would recommend this book for anyone who likes to read about famous writers. The most entertaining and illuminating section for me personally were as follows: F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gustave Flaubert, Charles Dickens, and Frederick Douglas.
October 16, 2013
I doubt that there is any great need for this book. No new light is offered. The sexual peccadillos and sordid entanglements of the literati which are laid out in Writers Between the Covers are old news. Divorced from the greater context of the writers' full lives and work, these rehashed offerings seem only salacious gossip. The language which is used also heightens this salacious, winking tone. One would use ones time better reading the authors' work and possibly a biography on them than immersing oneself in this gossipy thrill fest. A book such as Amanda Vaill's Everybody Was So Young offers up similar information about the Fitzgeralds and Hemingways, as well as the Murphys, Cole Porter, and Picasso, but Vaill's does so against a backdrop of their era and its dictates and drives and balances her portraits with insightful analysis. One learns not just of Hemingway's philandering, but also of how he became a constant companion and nurse to the Murphy's dying child. By setting their sights on only the sexual lives of the chosen authors Schmidt and Rendon have done their chosen topics a disservice. Better are the chapters on DuMauriers, the Woolfs and Brownings, but still nothing new is brought to light, nor is there any fresh analysis.
January 18, 2025
This is chock-full of fascinating details about the love lives and scandalous affairs of famous authors. I had no idea! Anyone familiar with the lives of our classic authors (Mailer, Nin, Keroauc, Ian Fleming, and many more) probably won't be surprised at their shenanigans but it's fascinating stuff for those of us who aren't as well-versed.
The authors have done a fabulous job of research and this will be a fun book to recommend to library patrons.
The authors have done a fabulous job of research and this will be a fun book to recommend to library patrons.
December 10, 2013
The title of this book says it all. From Byron to Tennessee Williams and all in between.It validates everything I have ever thought about great writers. Without extremes of Joy and pain along with a bunch of life experience, you don't really have anything to write about. Many of these people are straight up sociopaths. The rest are a stew of mental illnesses punctuated by a few narcissists. This is a really sad but fun read.
July 21, 2013
Fun read, like a classier tabloid for literature fans.
November 25, 2013
Really fun read. not too scholarly, not at all dry.
August 9, 2017
This was an awesome book. It really felt like I was reading a gossip magazine dedicated to covering famous authors. Hemingway, Nin, Stevenson, Fitzgerald, Miller, Kerouac, Plath and Stein - no one escapes some time under the microscope.
Broken up into short little chapters dedicated to a specific couple, all of which are separated by other snippets and anecdotes, this was a quick and interesting read.
Everyone is in this. So neat.
A must-read for classic author nerds!
Broken up into short little chapters dedicated to a specific couple, all of which are separated by other snippets and anecdotes, this was a quick and interesting read.
Everyone is in this. So neat.
A must-read for classic author nerds!
July 8, 2021
This is a fun read. It provides interesting snippets of the love lives of various well known authors and gives a tantalising look into their lives. It has definitely made me want to look further into the lives and work of writers if heard of but don’t know a lot about.
November 10, 2013
When NetGalley offered this book to review, I jumped at the chance to read it. I've always been fascinated by writing and the lives of those who felt called to do it. Let's just say that I wasn't disappointed with the book in the least bit. While I know some of the tidbits for a few of the authors, most of what was written came as a surprise to me. Therefore, I really enjoyed the book.
In a time before TMZ and gossip/reality shows, the antics that many of the authors did would have put even Miley to shame. Many believed in being as free with their love as they were with their words, leading to many affairs and secret liaisons. I do think that if the gossip columns were around during those times, they would have had a field day with the information!
Despite revealing a scandalous side of the artistic endeavors, I think the book serves as a reminder of how human the authors, both male and female, within truly were during their lifetimes. They loved, fought, felt and made bad choices - as any one of us have or might have when placed in their position. Their stories were told in a way that brought them to life in way that the reader could easily empathize with the authors.
All in all, this book was a great read. Full of information and yet not overwhelmingly so, the book wets the reader's imagination about the various lives of fellow writers. If you love nonfiction or any of the various authors listed with the book's own covers, I would suggest taking a chance with this book. You never know what you might learn.
In a time before TMZ and gossip/reality shows, the antics that many of the authors did would have put even Miley to shame. Many believed in being as free with their love as they were with their words, leading to many affairs and secret liaisons. I do think that if the gossip columns were around during those times, they would have had a field day with the information!
Despite revealing a scandalous side of the artistic endeavors, I think the book serves as a reminder of how human the authors, both male and female, within truly were during their lifetimes. They loved, fought, felt and made bad choices - as any one of us have or might have when placed in their position. Their stories were told in a way that brought them to life in way that the reader could easily empathize with the authors.
All in all, this book was a great read. Full of information and yet not overwhelmingly so, the book wets the reader's imagination about the various lives of fellow writers. If you love nonfiction or any of the various authors listed with the book's own covers, I would suggest taking a chance with this book. You never know what you might learn.
September 15, 2014
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
I picked up Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon's Writers Between the Covers on a whim. I wanted a break from my usual fare and I'll just say it, the jacket description spoke to my somewhat perverse sense of humor. It was one of those right place, right time sort of things and though I was familiar enough with most of the affairs they details, I thought the book an amusing diversion.
Schmidt and Rendon expose a litany of titillating secrets and erotic intrigues within this volume, but what I liked about it is the perspective the book brings to classic literature. Most of us approach Lord Byron, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Arthur Miller with a sort of reverence and I think it really interesting to look back on their work after seeing where they were and what they were dealing with when they put pen to paper.
A blush-inducing foray into the passions behind the prose, Writers Between the Covers is a witty, and at times ridiculous romp through the strange and scandalous lives of literary legends. A wickedly diverting read that peeks behind closed doors and reignites forgotten flames.
I picked up Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon's Writers Between the Covers on a whim. I wanted a break from my usual fare and I'll just say it, the jacket description spoke to my somewhat perverse sense of humor. It was one of those right place, right time sort of things and though I was familiar enough with most of the affairs they details, I thought the book an amusing diversion.
Schmidt and Rendon expose a litany of titillating secrets and erotic intrigues within this volume, but what I liked about it is the perspective the book brings to classic literature. Most of us approach Lord Byron, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Arthur Miller with a sort of reverence and I think it really interesting to look back on their work after seeing where they were and what they were dealing with when they put pen to paper.
A blush-inducing foray into the passions behind the prose, Writers Between the Covers is a witty, and at times ridiculous romp through the strange and scandalous lives of literary legends. A wickedly diverting read that peeks behind closed doors and reignites forgotten flames.
September 7, 2013
If Charles Dickens, Anaïs Nin, and the other writers we feature hadn't been two-timers, bigamists, risk takers, and unabashed romantics - resulting in love lives that make for great reading - Writers Between the Covers wouldn't exist.
True to their word, Rendon and Schmidt really do present the reader with a motley group of rascals, cads, lovesick puppies and romantics. A very amusing light read, I was definitely surprised with some of the things I learned about some of my favourite writers and shocked with all the twists and turns of their lives, that often seems more like fiction than fact (something that many were quick to remedy, taking that inspiration to fuel the birth of countless landmarks of literature).
I specially loved the fact that the few examples of simple success in love and matrimony, without too many complications or fusses, were saved for the final chapter, to serve a bit as a sweet dessert after all the highs and lows of infidelity, lust, broken hearts and many, many written frustrations, that make up this tome.
I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in literature and it's sordid backdrop!
Read this book thanks to the guys at NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Plume. Cheers!
True to their word, Rendon and Schmidt really do present the reader with a motley group of rascals, cads, lovesick puppies and romantics. A very amusing light read, I was definitely surprised with some of the things I learned about some of my favourite writers and shocked with all the twists and turns of their lives, that often seems more like fiction than fact (something that many were quick to remedy, taking that inspiration to fuel the birth of countless landmarks of literature).
I specially loved the fact that the few examples of simple success in love and matrimony, without too many complications or fusses, were saved for the final chapter, to serve a bit as a sweet dessert after all the highs and lows of infidelity, lust, broken hearts and many, many written frustrations, that make up this tome.
I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in literature and it's sordid backdrop!
Read this book thanks to the guys at NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Plume. Cheers!
October 28, 2013
In this book the authors provide short stories of the romantic escapades of some of history's most famous literary legends, from Agatha Christie to F Scott Fitzgerald. The stories are grouped according to their types (eg 'Folie a deux' and 'Bad Boys, Scoundrels and Rogues') where stories of famous pairings (and more than just pairings, on some occasions!) are recounted in all of their salacious detail.
I did enjoy reading this book. It was a lot of fun and I am always interested in gossipy details about the writers whose work I know so well. That said, this is not the kind of book you read from start to finish. I found myself opening it when I had 15 minutes to spare and reading sections of it, which is similar to how I read the Honest Toddler book. It is well written and appears to be well researched and, most importantly, inspired me to have lots of conversations that begin with "Did you know...?" (*very* important when you work from home and most of your 'what did you do today' stories involve the cat!)
I think it would be a good gift for the lovers of literary things in your life. Three stars.
I did enjoy reading this book. It was a lot of fun and I am always interested in gossipy details about the writers whose work I know so well. That said, this is not the kind of book you read from start to finish. I found myself opening it when I had 15 minutes to spare and reading sections of it, which is similar to how I read the Honest Toddler book. It is well written and appears to be well researched and, most importantly, inspired me to have lots of conversations that begin with "Did you know...?" (*very* important when you work from home and most of your 'what did you do today' stories involve the cat!)
I think it would be a good gift for the lovers of literary things in your life. Three stars.
August 5, 2013
Watch out rock stars and celebrities because these writers of the past just made you look like tame school children!
Finally a book came along that just made those "boring" old classics suddenly more appealing than just another item on a reader's checklist for school. Knowing what was going on in the very naughty lives of the author makes me want to reread every classic I skimmed over in the past for the clues that lie within.
Who needs to read a gossip magazine about what new antics your favorite star is trying to shock you with now when you can read about the authors that paved the way during a time where showing one's ankles could cause a scandal? These writers were the real "bad boys and girls" that all others took their cue from later in history.
Loved the short trivia blurbs at the beginnings of each chapter followed by an in-depth story of what a writer was really doing between the covers. A must for your reading collection!
Finally a book came along that just made those "boring" old classics suddenly more appealing than just another item on a reader's checklist for school. Knowing what was going on in the very naughty lives of the author makes me want to reread every classic I skimmed over in the past for the clues that lie within.
Who needs to read a gossip magazine about what new antics your favorite star is trying to shock you with now when you can read about the authors that paved the way during a time where showing one's ankles could cause a scandal? These writers were the real "bad boys and girls" that all others took their cue from later in history.
Loved the short trivia blurbs at the beginnings of each chapter followed by an in-depth story of what a writer was really doing between the covers. A must for your reading collection!
November 1, 2013
This a fun read for those of us who like genre of naughty historical people. The cliche of the troubled artist with the disastrous love life certainly holds true for the majority of writers in this book. There is certainly a lot of drama, but also some nice love stories. I am glad they chose to finish the book with the enduring love stories.
Interesting fact that I did not know: Lord Byron had an eating disorder. (Already knew about the whole sister-incest thing.) All and all a nice and readable historical survey for the non-hardcore historian types. Although those of us who thoroughly enjoy the esoteric academic historical books, can enjoy it too.
Interesting fact that I did not know: Lord Byron had an eating disorder. (Already knew about the whole sister-incest thing.) All and all a nice and readable historical survey for the non-hardcore historian types. Although those of us who thoroughly enjoy the esoteric academic historical books, can enjoy it too.
September 2, 2013
A fast read focusing on the private lives and scandals surrounding many famous literary figures.
One wonders, reading this, just how much is based in absolute truth - perhaps because, at times, it reads very much like a tabloid - but even if there is a degree of exaggeration involved, it is still a fascinating read. And leads the the conclusion that writers and literary figures are a pretty broken bunch when it comes to romance and relationships.
One wonders, reading this, just how much is based in absolute truth - perhaps because, at times, it reads very much like a tabloid - but even if there is a degree of exaggeration involved, it is still a fascinating read. And leads the the conclusion that writers and literary figures are a pretty broken bunch when it comes to romance and relationships.
November 16, 2013
Wow. Who knew what all these 19th and 20th century writers were doing while they were writing some of the most famous novels of all times? This book is an amazing look at huge literary figures and their escapades. A very quick read and will have the reader shaking their head at some of the sexual antics of well-known writers.
If you like the Enquire-style story, this book will entertain you completely. Not for the prudish or conservative reader. ;)
If you like the Enquire-style story, this book will entertain you completely. Not for the prudish or conservative reader. ;)
June 20, 2019
Although the book is a gentle introduction to the covered matters, it leaves out so much--it made me want to go buy biographies and autobiographies of all the couples in the book to learn all of the story--or as much as possible at least...and I've already read about most of the couples in the book prior.
July 24, 2013
Attention grabbing and informative. I very much enjoyed learning about the personal lives and peccadilloes of the most famous names in literature over the years. This is an incredibly enjoyable book to read.
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October 2, 2013Writers Between the Covers by Shannon McKenna Schmidt & Joni Rendon: A Review in Gifs:
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March 30, 2014
Silly title but the stories, the actual lives of these people, just shine despite some fairly staid writing. Enjoyable and slightly embarrassing.
January 17, 2025
this is tea on steroids. I kid you not each and every story had my jaw on the floor. my personal favourite “there ain’t no way” stories consisted of, but not limited to (**SPOILERS AHEAD BUT THESE ARE REAL LIFE STORIES SO IS IT REALLY A SPOILER IDK BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED**)
* homegirl started a bonfire in the hotel bathroom
* homegirl yeeted herself off the stairs because her husband who openly cheated on her with everything that moved in his vicinity, flirted with the waiter in front of her
* homegirl thought getting hypothermia would prevent her beau from not breaking up with her…he waited until she had recovered and still broke up with her
* homeboy divorced someone, married one of his baby mamas so his kid could get his last name, divorced the baby mama and then married the woman he actually wanted to!!!
* homeboy said: age don’t matter AND you’re my half-cousin never removed from my immediate family? smash.
* homeboy was with two women for fifty years and they both hated each other and he threatened to off himself if they didn’t figure out their issues because he couldn’t choose just one
* homeboy got married while handcuffed to a police officer, who then accompanied the newlyweds to dinner that night
…I barely touched the surface but as you can see, STRAIGHT. DRAMA. of course I’m going to give it 5/5!!!
* homegirl started a bonfire in the hotel bathroom
* homegirl yeeted herself off the stairs because her husband who openly cheated on her with everything that moved in his vicinity, flirted with the waiter in front of her
* homegirl thought getting hypothermia would prevent her beau from not breaking up with her…he waited until she had recovered and still broke up with her
* homeboy divorced someone, married one of his baby mamas so his kid could get his last name, divorced the baby mama and then married the woman he actually wanted to!!!
* homeboy said: age don’t matter AND you’re my half-cousin never removed from my immediate family? smash.
* homeboy was with two women for fifty years and they both hated each other and he threatened to off himself if they didn’t figure out their issues because he couldn’t choose just one
* homeboy got married while handcuffed to a police officer, who then accompanied the newlyweds to dinner that night
…I barely touched the surface but as you can see, STRAIGHT. DRAMA. of course I’m going to give it 5/5!!!
May 5, 2021
"Vreau sa-ti spun ca tu mi-ai daruit fericire desăvârșită. Nimeni nu ar fi putut face mai mult decât ai facut tu." Virginia Woolf
"Romantism.Pasiune.Scandal" sunt cu adevăr cuvintele de baza atunci cand vorbim de viata amoroasa a personalitatilor celebre. Pentru un booklover devine important sa cunoască toate detaliile cu privire la viata intima a autorilor ce stau la baza roamnelor pe care le devoreaza. Subiectul iubirii devine interesant tocmai datorita faptului ca sunt considerate semintele din care incoltesc povestile dintre pagini. Cartea de fata ia cei mai cunoscuți scriitori si ii pune sub lupa prezentandu-ne laturi mai putin cunoscute si legaturi puse sub cheie. Interesant de la inceput si pana la final. ✨
"Romantism.Pasiune.Scandal" sunt cu adevăr cuvintele de baza atunci cand vorbim de viata amoroasa a personalitatilor celebre. Pentru un booklover devine important sa cunoască toate detaliile cu privire la viata intima a autorilor ce stau la baza roamnelor pe care le devoreaza. Subiectul iubirii devine interesant tocmai datorita faptului ca sunt considerate semintele din care incoltesc povestile dintre pagini. Cartea de fata ia cei mai cunoscuți scriitori si ii pune sub lupa prezentandu-ne laturi mai putin cunoscute si legaturi puse sub cheie. Interesant de la inceput si pana la final. ✨
August 14, 2023
Ciekawy przegląd przez nieoczywiste elementy biografii znanych autorów. Takie, o których nie usłyszysz na lekcji polskiego w szkole ;). Pewne detale mogą być zaskakujące, inne napawają współczuciem, a jeszcze inne – wywołują uśmiech.
Dobra pozycja dla osób, które nie chcą czytać pełnych biografii, ale interesują je co ciekawsze detale życia pisarzy. Na plus jest też obszerny zestaw odnośników do dzieł i innych publikacji.
Wada? Miejscami wydarzenia opisane nieco chaotycznie, bez zachowania chronologii. W paru momentach utrudnia to połapanie się, kto, co i kiedy.
Ogólnie lekka, interesująca lektura.
Dobra pozycja dla osób, które nie chcą czytać pełnych biografii, ale interesują je co ciekawsze detale życia pisarzy. Na plus jest też obszerny zestaw odnośników do dzieł i innych publikacji.
Wada? Miejscami wydarzenia opisane nieco chaotycznie, bez zachowania chronologii. W paru momentach utrudnia to połapanie się, kto, co i kiedy.
Ogólnie lekka, interesująca lektura.
July 12, 2023
This nonfiction book is exactly what it claims to be, and it moves at a quick pace as it romps through the love lives of various Western authors. Unfortunately, despite the light tone, it’s impossible to gloss over what horrible people some authors could be (or how horrible others were to them or how they struggled unsuccessfully with mental illness), so I ultimately found it too grim to finish the book. Also, I had the sensation that I’d already read it, although it’s not logged here.
June 1, 2017
Great research, amazing to see how writers are in each other's lives and how real life does affect their work. Great book for English lit students or just a knowledge fountain.
July 11, 2017
PAUSED
March 1, 2020
It was entertaining but for a book about writers, the book should be spell-checked before publishing.
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