A Whiff of Wilde, a Pinch of Poe, and a Frisson of Frost: Selections from a Dab of Dickens & a Touch of Twain, Literary Lives from Shakespeare's Old England to Frost's New England

by Elliot Engel

They are icons of the literary world whose soaring works have been discussed and analyzed in countless classrooms, homes, and pubs. Yet for most readers, the living, breathing human beings behind the classics have remained unknown--until now. In this utterly captivating book, Dr. Elliot Engel, a leading authority on the lives of great authors, illuminates the fascinating and flawed members of literature's elite. In lieu of stuffy biographical sketches, Engel provides fascinating anecdotes.

You'll never look at these literary giants the same way again.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Essays

Audiobook

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Published in both Great Britain and the US, Engel is the author of seven books including, A Dab of Dickens & A Touch of Twain: Literary Lives from Shakespeare's Old England to Frost's New England. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines, including Newsweek. As one of the most sought after and beloved speakers on literature, his mini-lecture series on his favorite literary hero, Charles Dickens, appeared on PBS stations nationwide.

As a professor, Engel has taught courses at Duke University, NC State University, and University of North Carolina. For his scholarship and teaching, he has received North Carolina’s Adult Education Award and the Victorian Society Award of Merit.

Reviews

[Kelley Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a wonderful way to get a taste of these gifted authors along with some insight into their lives. The only down side is that I wish the audio version, Blackstone Audio, would have delineated who was reading each piece, especially in the Frost poetry section.

[mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting biographical information

[Lysander Grey]

These biographies were fascinating - but only because of the stories they told and the authors they followed.
The tone of the author was far too strong for a non-fiction work like this. I didn't appreciate how snarky and overt the author's opinions were, I felt like it drowned out the actual content of the book.
Some of the comments in the Wilde section got uncomfortably close to homophobic, which infuriated me. Wilde is my boy, I refuse to let anyone slander him.

The work selections were great - I enjoyed getting to absorb the writing after learning about the writer, and again, the anecdotes shared were entertaining and fascinating. (Especially the bit about Frost thinking he singlehandedly caused the Cuban Missile Crisis. That was fantastic)

So, I appreciated reading this, but I also halfway hated it. *shrugs*

[📚Linda Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engel does a good job of describing how the lives of these men impacted their writing. He emphasized the role of their parents as well as their inherent character traits. The book probably would have been better read rather than enjoying it as an audiobook because of the long, often dense, literary passages. However the reader is an English professor and the author. He certainly gave dramatic readings of the biographies.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible. Various narrators read a selection of the writings of these three famous men after the author tells the reader some of the history of the each of these men. I was moved by the details chosen to share about each man and learned new stories about each. Sometimes Elliott Engel stated his opinions as facts but in general I felt this is a book full of interesting information and worth a read or a listen.

[Garth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and I had to say that I enjoyed learning about some of my favourite poets and storytellers but then the readings of their works at the end was superb and captured what these men were, heart and soul.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este formato me encantó! Me parece súper fascinante leer biografías y además contar con fragmentos de las obras cumbre de estos autores tan interesantes. Es la perfecta combinación para conocer y leer otras obras de los autores. 100% recomendado.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story is always incomplete until you add a pinch of author in it. As what you write is more or less an extension of who you are.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insights into the lives of these three writers/poets that are both interesting and sad as well as snippets of their writings read by notable narrators.

[Mamikie Mmky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Robert Frost from reading this book. My heart aches for Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allen Poe, especially fot Wilde. Thank you Elliot Engel, for the introduction to these men.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 ⭐️ I really enjoyed this

[Autumn Rybin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. A short biography of each writer followed by a sampling of their works. Just perfect.

[Maurice Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light entertainment

[James Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Poe