The Mammoth Book of Literary Anecdotes: Over Five Centuries of Recollections, Essays and Quotes (Mammoth Books) - Softcover

  • 3.69 out of 5 stars
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9780786710034: The Mammoth Book of Literary Anecdotes: Over Five Centuries of Recollections, Essays and Quotes (Mammoth Books)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0786710039 ISBN 13: 9780786710034
Publisher: Carroll & Graf, 2002

Synopsis

“Who would write who had anything better to do?” asked Lord Byron rhetorically, and in this amusing and informative anthology author Philip Gooden finds hundreds of illuminating anecdotes to reveal what writers got up to when they were not sitting at the typewriter or wielding quill pens. Over 250 stories of famous writers off-duty, from the sixteenth century to the present day, are featured. Among the forty wide-ranging sections, covering famous writers from the sixteenth century to the present day, are “Writers and Money,” “Writers and Crime,” “Writers and Sex,” “Writers and Lost Typescripts,” “Writers and Alcohol,” “Writers and the Public,” “Writers and Inspiration,” and “Writers and Best Sellers.”

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Reviews

As Gooden (Death of Kings) notes, this work is not a reference book because the 250-plus selections were chosen for their entertainment value rather than their factual accuracy. The entries are arranged chronologically under alphabetical headings e.g., "Addiction," "Forgeries and Frauds," "Last Words," "Obsessions and Eccentricities," "Shakespeariana," and "Wars and Fights." The subjects, mostly British but in some cases Irish and American, all lived between the 16th and 20th centuries. Notes accompanying the entries and an index of writers provide background on the individuals discussed and the circumstances behind each selection. The anecdotes include Agatha Christie's disappearance after her first husband's infidelity, the publication of fraudulent Hitler diaries, and James Boswell's meeting with Samuel Johnson. Because the truth of the anecdotes included has not been verified, this work should be read primarily for amusement. Of some interest to public libraries. Denise J. Stankovics, Rockville P.L., Vernon, CT
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Carroll & Graf
Publication date
2002
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0786710039
ISBN 13 
9780786710034
Binding
Paperback
Edition number
1
Number of pages
512
Editor
Gooden Philip
Rating
  • 3.69 out of 5 stars
    13 ratings by Goodreads

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781841193045: The Mammoth Book of Literary Anecdotes

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  1841193046 ISBN 13:  9781841193045
Publisher: Robinson Publishing, 2002
Softcover