Reading with Style discussion

In honor of Nancy Milford, who wrote biographies, and Hilary Mantel, who wrote biographical fictions, read any biography or biographical fiction. Note: for this task, memoirs and autobiographies will not work.

Please post any questions or comments about task 20.2 in this thread.

Currently on the bottom of MPG's as Biography Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany’s Wealthier Dynasties-holding it's place

Currently on the bottom of MPG's as Biography Nothing but the Night: Leopold & Loeb and the Truth Behind the Murder That Rocked 1920s America holding it's place

Biographical fiction is about a real person. Here is the Goodreads biographical fiction page. [Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee that every book shelved as biographical fiction works for this task.]

The task does not require a MPG of biography, so I am assuming that The Personal Librarian, which I found on the GR biographical fiction list would be allowed. Correct?

Bea wrote: "The task does not require a MPG of biography, so I am assuming that The Personal Librarian, which I found on the GR biographical fiction list would be allowed. Correct?"

Correct. MPG is not a requirement for this task, and yes, that title works for this task.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Bea wrote: "The task does not require a MPG of biography, so I am assuming that The Personal Librarian, which I found on the GR biographical fiction list would be allowed. Correct?"..."

Thank you.

Bea, I read that book this year, it was very good. Hope you like it!

Joanne wrote: "Bea, I read that book this year, it was very good. Hope you like it!"

I am looking forward to it, Joanne. Thanks for the recommend.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Biographical fiction is about a real person. Here is the Goodreads biographical fiction page. [Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee that every book shelved as biographical fiction works for this task.]"

I will keep that in mind Elizabeth, if one person does not stand out I would not use it. One question though, Leopold and Loeb were real and were partners in crime, I guess I do not understand why they would not work

Joanne wrote: "I will keep that in mind Elizabeth, if one person does not stand out I would not use it. One question though, Leopold and Loeb were real and were partners in crime, I guess I do not understand why they would not work"

Yes, that book works. I'm sorry if there is confusion about something I said.

I have read a lot of the books on the GR's list that Elizabeth provided, here are few (? well maybe more than a few)that I can recommend

A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts
Clara and Mr. Tiffany
The Second Mrs. Astor
The Red Tent
March

A 2nd recommendation for City of Thieves

City of Thieves does not work for this task. It is fictional biography not biographical fiction (no real person in the novel).

In an interview, David Benioff says:

City of Thieves begs the question: Did all this really happen to your grandfather?

No. My grandfather was born on a farm in Delaware. He became a furrier and died in Allentown, Pennsylvania. My grandmother (unlike the non-cooking grandmother in the book) made the best chopped chicken liver in the state. Neither one, as far as I know, ever visited Russia.

How about Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical by Anthony Bourdain?

Joanna wrote: "How about Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical by Anthony Bourdain?"

That looks to be straight biography and you're good to go.

Folks, straight biography will likely always fit. It's those pesky novels that might give us trouble.

I have a couple on my shelf that will fit and one in particular I might recommend. Winter, a novel about Thomas Hardy. It pertains to only the "winter" of his life, but I think is quite insightful.

The Red Tent is good. I read it before.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "City of Thieves does not work for this task. It is fictional biography not biographical fiction (no real person in the novel).

In an interview, David Benioff says:..."

Thanks for the heads up Elizabeth, I deleted it from my list

Joanne wrote: "I have read a lot of the books on the GR's list that Elizabeth provided, here are few (? well maybe more than a few)that I can recommend”

March does not work for this task, because March is the father in Little Women which is of a fictional family, even if thinly disguised as Alcott’s family.

Would Amadeus work here? How about Henry V or Antony and Cleopatra? Not sure if a play about real people would fit the "biographical fiction" definition...

Anika wrote: "Would Amadeus work here? How about Henry V or Antony and Cleopatra? Not sure if a play about real people would fit the "biographical fiction" definition..."

Yes, think all of those work. I was wondering if you would choose to pursue your assault on Shakespeare’s plays with this.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Anika wrote: "Would Amadeus work here? How about Henry V or Antony and Cleopatra? Not sure if a play about real people would fit the "biographical fiction" d..."

Yay! Yes, it will most definitely help me out with that :-) Perfect! And thank you for the swift response...we're about to head out to a Friendsbirthmasgiving (late Thanksgiving, early Christmas, and three of us have birthdays that we'll be celebrating) and wanted to get the post in for the book I just finished before I'm too tipsy and end up forgetting about it ;-P
Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Happy Birthday! Enjoy the celebration!

I'm thinking of reading Spin: A Novel Based on a (Mostly) True Story for this task. The author Peter Zheutlin is described as "a descendent of Annie". He originally wrote a biography of Annie, entitled: Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry's Extraordinary Ride; however, the criticism of that book is that there was insufficient documentation for a non-fiction book. Zheutlin then took the information about Annie and wrote Spin , a novel starring Annie Londonderry, wherein his filling in the blanks of what is known about her with speculation is acceptable because it is fiction, not non-fiction. I'll let y'all know how it turns out!

Deedee wrote: "I'm thinking of reading Spin: A Novel Based on a (Mostly) True Story for this task. The author Peter Zheutlin is described as "a descendent of Annie". He originally ..."

Yes, Annie "Londonderry" was a real person and you can use that for this task. (Whether or not Zheutlin is a descendant.)

I'm almost finished reading Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese for this task. Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, is a main character. Okay for this task?

Owlette wrote: "I'm almost finished reading Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese for this task. Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, is a main character. Okay for this task?"

This doesn't look like a fictional biography, even though Hawthorne was a real person. In the author's words ...

"this is a prequel and a retelling of Hawthorne's classic novel THE SCARLET LETTER"

I can’t find that interview, but my understanding while reading it, is that it is not a retelling of the Scarlet Letter. It is her imagining of how Hawthorne came up with the idea for the character Hester Prynne that he wrote into the Scarlet Letter. Apparently, historians have speculated that Hawthorne had a relationship with a woman that was the muse or inspiration for Hester Prynne. The book is about that relationship; Nathaniel’s and the book’s protagonist, Isobel. The book seems biographical because it has history about Hawthorne’s great grandfather who served as a judge in the Salem witch trials (see Wikipedia.), and other substantiated history of Hawthorne’s life. So, I think she incorporated some actual biography mixed with creative fiction to make a novel. That is why I thought it was biographical fiction.

That information is here:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Too bad I didn’t see that. She has several pages of notes in the book explaining her idea and how she researched Hawthorne and Salem. She doesn’t call it a retelling or a prequel, so I guess I will count it for the task about GR nominees.

Owlette wrote: "Too bad I didn’t see that. She has several pages of notes in the book explaining her idea and how she researched Hawthorne and Salem. She doesn’t call it a retelling or a prequel, so I guess I will..."

It also works for 10.4

Yes, thanks.
So, how about this one for Task 20.2?: The Composers: their lives and works by D. K. Publishing, first published in 2020. Sorry, I don’t know how to enter the links when using the phone instead of the laptop. I think it is straight biography; not fiction. The library has it.

Owlette wrote: "Yes, thanks.
So, how about this one for Task 20.2?: The Composers: their lives and works by D. K. Publishing, first published in 2020. Sorry, I don’t know how to enter the links when using the phon..."

I am sorry, I can't find that title. Can you give me an author?

Owlette and Kate, I found this on Amazon: Composers: Their Lives and Works. Is that the book?

Yes, that is the book. Thanks, Bea.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Owlette wrote: "Too bad I didn’t see that. She has several pages of notes in the book explaining her idea and how she researched Hawthorne and Salem. She doesn’t call it a retelling or a prequel, s..."

It think it also works for 10.5 ( I am also finishing it up), Isobel journeyed from Scotland to Salem

Joanne wrote: "It think it also works for 10.5 ( I am also finishing it up), Isobel journeyed from Scotland to Salem"

10.5 isn't about someone who takes a journey as an incidental part of a book, but that the journey is a large part of the book, even the point of it. (Think Around the World in Eighty Days type of thing.)

Bea wrote: "Owlette and Kate, I found this on Amazon: Composers: Their Lives and Works. Is that the book?"

Sorry, I couldn't look last night. I leave the computer after 6pm to go read. I don't have the Search Goodreads app on my iPad (probably not an available feature).

Yes, that will work for biography.

Thanks, Elizabeth (Alaska) for confirming that Composers will work for this task.

Please could you advise on whether Chasing the King of Hearts would work for 20.2?

It is based on a true story, and it includes photos of some of the main characters.

The quotes below come from this article: https://bookertalk.com/chasing-the-ki...

"It’s not a biography of a Holocaust survivor or a memoir in the vein of The Happiest Man on Earth. It’s not fiction either because the woman portrayed in the book did exist and she did experience the events described. Yet it’s not journalism despite author Hanna Krall’s career in newspaper and magazines.

I’ve seen the book described as “a fictionalised true story” but I’m uncomfortable with that descriptor, knowing how many questions were raised about the authenticity of another fictionalised Holocaust account; The Tattooist of Auschwitz."

"If I hadn’t known before I started to read Chasing The King Of Hearts that it depicts a true story of a woman, I’d have dismissed it as highly improbable that so many things could happen to one person."

Lagullande wrote: "Please could you advise on whether Chasing the King of Hearts would work for 20.2?

It is based on a true story, and it includes photos of some of the main characters.

The quotes ..."

Yes, that sounds like biographical fiction!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Lagullande wrote: "Please could you advise on whether Chasing the King of Hearts would work for 20.2?

It is based on a true story, and it includes photos of some of the main chara..."

Thank you, Elizabeth. I had it pencilled in for the sub-challenge, but think there might be more points available here.

Okay, I am reading two books that are fictions of actual people, just wondering if they are going to fit:

Me Cheeta: The Autobiography, which works for film, and which I missed last season (but actually wouldn't have worked), and whilst the subtitle is "The Autobiography" it obviously isn't ...

And Euphoria, a fictional first person narrative of Sylvia Plath.

Apple wrote: "Okay, I am reading two books that are fictions of actual people, just wondering if they are going to fit:

Me Cheeta: The Autobiography, which works for film, and which I missed last..."

Although I'm less sure of Me Cheeta, it looks like both of these fit.

I just finished the cozy pre-WW II mystery Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen and I think it might qualify for this task (combo points) because Coco Chanel and Wallis Simpson are both main characters. They are named in the GR record. Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein appear, too, but not as main characters. What do you think?

Owlette wrote: "I just finished the cozy pre-WW II mystery Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen and I think it might qualify for this task (combo points) because Coco Chanel and Wallis Simp..."

Well, I could be wrong because I haven't read this, but the description makes them look more like supporting characters. Biographical fiction would have them central and the story be *about* them.

The story would not have worked without Coco because the murder occurred at her fashion show where Georgianna (the Royal Spyness) is modeling and assisting because she is a friend of Coco Chanel. A previous book in the series also had Coco and Georgianna together when a crime happened. We learn bits and pieces about Coco's personal life and background, but maybe that isn't enough.

Owlette wrote: "The story would not have worked without Coco because the murder occurred at her fashion show where Georgianna (the Royal Spyness) is modeling and assisting because she is a friend of Coco Chanel. A..."

Not really. I recently read The Alice Network. I learned reading this that in WWI there was a real-life Alice Network and 2 of the characters in the book were real people, one of whom was the lead woman in the network. But it wasn't biographical fiction.

I see. It has been a little hard for me to decide what meets the task. Thanks!

Owlette wrote: "I see. It has been a little hard for me to decide what meets the task. Thanks!"

A quick glance on your shelves:

Julius Caesar
The Wright Brothers - my husband said this was good!
John Adams
Steve Jobs
Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now
Writing as Resistance: Four Women Confronting the Holocaust: Edith Stein, Simone Weil, Anne Frank, Etty Hillesum
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos