The Writers

by Robert Wernick

Here, from New York Times bestselling author Robert Wernick, are the surprising and little-told stories of some of literature's greats - the man who created Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans; the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie; Sherlock Holmes's creator, Arthur Conan Doyle; the Jungle Book's author, Rudyard Kipling; the man who heard the call of the wild, Jack London; Moby Dick's author, Herman Melville; the eccentric but inspiring poet whose traitorous behavior left him institutionalized for years, Ezra Pound; and the woman who defied the rules of society and writing, George Sand.

95 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2017

Reviews

[Armand Rosamilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the life and times of these authors. Some of them lived exciting lives, others lived crazy ones. They were all brilliant in their own way, and the deep dive into their personal journeys and what shaped their writings was great.

[Joy Cagil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book probably because I like true journalists and Robert Wernick was one of them; in the Writers, he gave us not the entire biography of an author but little-known tidbits of it that were a delight to read. The hard facts one can find in any publication but the tiny details that have human interest make any piece of work more interesting.

The authors Wernick talks about are Ludwig Bemelmans, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, Herman Melville, Ezra Pound, and George Sand. Possibly, the people who lived during the time of those writers may have known the tidbits about their lives and personalities through newspapers or the other existing media, but those of us who weren’t born at that time or were oblivious to what was in the papers are bound to enjoy reading this book. For example, in December 1926, her first husband Archie, who had fallen for another woman, asked Agatha Christie for a divorce and then after a quarrel left the house. The same evening, Agatha left the house, too, and disappeared from sight. Her disappearance suddenly became the news of the day, with a newspaper offering a prize and the police looking for her. Ten days later she was found in a hotel in Yorkshire where she had registered with the name of her husband’s lover. Robert Wernick’s addition to this incident is, from his pen, “The mystery writer Dorothy Sayers took a hand at investigating the disappearance, using the abandoned car in her next novel, and Arthur Conan Doyle, who was deep into mysticism at the time, took one of Agatha’s gloves to a medium in a futile attempt to find out where she was.”

Then, when Wernick wrote about Herman Melville and Moby Dick, he also offered his critique of the novel by saying, “One-fourth of the book’s 135 chapters contained descriptions of how a whale ship operated.” Then, about Ezra Pound, he pointed out that the poet felt regret at the end of his life, “for being on the wrong side of things.”

When I finished the book, I wished it were much longer and had in it many other authors with tiny, entertaining details about their lives.

The book is very readable and well organized, giving each author his or her chapter. The prose is clear and succinct, projecting Wernick’s style and professional background. I believe everyone can pick something up from reading it; however, no one should expect this book to be one of serious research.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The information in this book is very accessible, a good feature, but it also has negative ramifications. On the positive side, everyone can glean something about the novelist in whom they are interested.

In my case, having read other work about Agatha Christie I tried the chapter on her first. I found that the information was fairly available through other sources, and neglected the intricacies of her life. Of course, what can be expected in a chapter, where my other reading has been book length material dedicated to the one writer? It could be fair to say that I expected too much. However, the warning from this is that what you will find in reading this book is a fairly simple set of information written in a somewhat breezy style. This will suit some readers.

However, I'd have liked a lot more. I am also chary of material in which no sources are cited to bolster assertions. Again, this is an academic approach and possibly unfair to this book.

For me, the example from the book, a chapter on Agatha Christie, did not provide me with more than the most available information. This was accessible, but of little value to a person doing serious research.

[Tomi Alger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned quite a bit about these various authors. And now I realize how little I have read of their books. Certainly, what happened in their lives influenced the writing that they did. I have always found it interesting listening to authors talk about what caused them to write the books they did and this book goes along with that concept.

[Pontiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This view into the lives and work of well known authors was delightful. I especially enjoyed reading about Sand and Bemelmans, and now must read some Agatha Christie as soon as possible.

It was interesting to hear about their politics, as well as their struggles, and as often is the case, their eccentricities were clear.

Recommended for anyone who likes biographies.

[Sheila Creveling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book. So much to learn about authors I thought I knew

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. So much information. So much I did not know about each particular author. I highly recommend this the great read and very informative

[Clark Eide]

Good summary of some fascinating characters

Concise but interesting reporting on these authors from the whole gamut of society. Factual and concentrating on providing information on each writer's milieu and accomplishments, it is an easy and enjoyable read

[Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry, but much of interest about the writers’ lives, like little biographies.

[Jan Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating quick read about 7 writers.

[Pilar Seacord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was not sure I would like this but found it was rather fascinating. Really enjoyed this book.

[Kimberly Orr · Rating 2 out of 5]

U prompt.

[langana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ivertinimas butu buves zymiai mazesnis, jei ne pasakojimai apie Kiplinga ir ypac George Sand. Mazai apie juos zinojau, labai idomios asmenybes, ypac George Sand

[Dsinglet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here, from New York Times bestselling author Robert Wernick, are the surprising and little-told stories of some of literature's greats - the man who created Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans; the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie; Sherlock Holmes's creator, Arthur Conan Doyle; the Jungle Book's author, Rudyard Kipling; the man who heard the call of the wild, Jack London; Moby Dick' ...more

Interesting to read these short writers profiles and find out more about their lives. Not deep and not thorough but a quick read.