The Frenzy of Renown: Fame & Its History

by Leo Braudy

The lust for recognition has become so great in the twentieth century as to manifest itself in outright insanities--ranging from mass murderers in search of headlines to the frustrated author who buzzed the UN in order to force his publisher to give his book more attention. What is behind thedrive to become famous? How did fame become such a pervasive feature of modern culture? In The Frenzy of Renown, Leo Braudy shows that, far from being just a twentieth-century obsession, fame has a history and that the twists and turns of that history have set up the terms by which we nowunderstand the whole phenomenon. Beginning with Alexander the Great and coming right up to the present-day idolatry of media figures, Braudy explains how the definition of fame depends on the political and social system in which it is found, the culture's conception of what a person is, and ofcourse, the media available for dissemination of images. Over the past 2,500 years, fame has meant a variety of the Roman commitment to public action, as well as the Christian belief that God is the only suitable audience; the Renaissance idea of the heroic artist, as well as thenineteenth-century notions of posterity and the avant garde; the assumption that the king is ideal human being, as well as the view that the movie star is the consummate role model. Drawing freely upon art, literature, political history, religion, and philosophy, The Frenzy of Renown offers afascinating parade of personalities--Julius Caesar and Jesus, Charlemagne and Shakespeare, Napoleon and Byron, Emily Dickinson and Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler and Marily Monroe--who have changed the nature of fame and thereby changed the way everyone appears in public, in the eyes ofothers.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, School, Psychology

662 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Leo Braudy is among America's leading cultural historians and film critics. He currently is University Professor and Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature at the University of Southern California. He lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Edward]

Rushdoony spoke about this book on December 9, 1986:

Braudy begins by citing a particular example and I quote. “‘How many times do I have to kill before I get my name in the paper or some national attention,’ complained a murderer in a letter to the Wichita police. Only with his sixth killing, he continued, he had he begun to get any publicity. This was in February 1978. In a cursory reading of any daily newspaper it is easy to find similar stories that illustrate the various insanities to which individuals have been driven by the lust for recognition. Who knows whether the urge to fame drove this man to murder or has murderous nature found the language of fame seeking a comfortable normality to wrap around himself? But it is clear that particularly since World War II the increasing number and sophistication of the ways information is brought to us have enormously expanded the ways of being known. In the process, the concept of fame has been grotesquely distended and the line between public achievement and private pathology grows dimmer as the claims grow more bizarre,” unquote.

We can add to that that in recent years television has increased this kind of frenzy to have fame. Many demonstrations, many revolutionary activities are held for the benefit of the camera. The Communists in particular make use of this media and a great many of their actions are staged for a television audience to give the idea of massive movement.

Braudy begins his study, of course, with ancient times with Alexander the Great. He has a great deal of documentation here, but I think he passes up a very important aspect from the very personal life of Alexander the Great. Alexander liked to pretend that he was above enjoying food or above enjoying women, as though these were grudging concessions to the flesh. And, of course, behind this lay his belief that he was a god, his claim to be a god. And, as a result, he could not act like a human being. He had to conceal his humanity.

[Jon Cvack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhere in these 600 pages is a fascinating history of fame. As is, this is the most needlessly verbose work of non-fiction I’ve ever read in my life. Perhaps Braudy’s own sense of fame caused him to forego an editor? Bring them back, Leo! There’s a solid 200 pages in here!

[Daniel Pearse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exhaustive and extremely thorough look at what it took and takes to get widespread renown starting with Alexander and moving throughout western history to modern (as of the publication) times. Makes you wonder if all the trouble is worth it.

[Alex M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Frenzy of Renown can change your life: with its abundance of ideas, its thoroughness, and the relentless way Braudy has of pursuing his study through the ages, the reader is taken on a historical and sociological journey like no other, and given a complete picture of how we have arrived at our own contemporary notions of fame, honor, recognition, and our place in the world in 2016 A.D. I don’t doubt the book took ten years to write. The author’s patience, restraint, and erudition are extraordinary. I see why there is no Kindle edition (though there should be): this volume is not much in demand by casual readers because, of course, it takes time and dedication to get through, and in scope resembles something the Victorians might have envisioned and brought to completion. My complete review is here: http://alexmfrankel.com/alex/the-fren...

[Suhail Rafidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes fame so alluring to audiences and yet so disillusioning for the object of fame? How have the criteria for what deserves or attracts fame changed in different historical eras? What makes people famous? Is it their exemplary conduct as public figures? Or is it their uncompromising resistance to a social paradigm which is trying to absorb them? The Frenzy of Renown is both a who’s who of western history’s heavyweights and an insightful exploration of the human urge to be recognized. The Frenzy of Renown is an intriguing approach to some of history’s most significant figures, especially in that it analyzes why and how these famous figures became, and remained, so recognized.

Full review at My Writes, http://wp.me/p17lXk-jS.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't finished this book, but minus one star already because it's a beast at 600+ pages (which means I might not finish it in this lifetime). Fascinating, though. And thanks to Braudy, it's at least a readable 600 pages.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

A (frighteningly) thorough history of fame in Western civilization. It's a must-read for anyone interested in celebrity studies.

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Que livro gigante e interminável, mas eu gosto de celebridades.