268
Book
ReviewBiographical
Analysis Found Wanting and Found GoodReading biography. Carl Rollyson, 2004. New
York, London, Shanghai: iUniverse; ISBN: 0595337473 paper, 105 pp., US$12.95.
Essays in biography. Carl Rollyson, 2005. New York, London, Shanghai: iUniverse; ISBN: 0595341810 paper, 68 pp., US$10.95
SAGE Publications, Inc.2005DOI: 10.1177/09675507050130030502
MelissaDearey
University of York
269
The first
of these two short volumes is composed of selections from Carl Rollyson's
weekly column `On Biography', which he has written for The New York Sun newspaper
since 2003. Frequently describing himself as a professional biographer, academic
and author of nine `full' biographies, Rollyson sets out to remedy the sub-standard
nature of biography review- ing, which he laments for its lack of knowledge
about the `history or the art of biography' (p. vii). He claims that most
biography reviewers base their commentaries on their personal responses to
the biographical subject, heedless of the aesthetics conventions and practical
techniques of biogra- phical writing, a fault which he hopes in this short
volume to put right. Whether or not we agree with this assessment of the current
state of biography criticism (no evidence is offered in support), the author's
claim to provide something akin to a treatise on the art of biography amounts
to rather a tall order, on which it consummately fails to deliver. The pieces
culled from Rollyson's weekly column are very short and mostly domi- nated
by a succession of clichés: from `biography is a transgressive genre' (p.
15), `Biography reveals what autobiography conceals' (p. 24) and `Biography
is not history' (p. 37) to the excruciating `biography, too, can be a dance
to the music of time' (p. 6). Rollyson relies too much on rehashing the over-rehearsed
battle between biography and history on the one hand, and biography and autobiography
on the other, without adding anything particularly new or edifying to these
debates. This over-reliance on cliché is particularly evident in Rollyson's
slight treatment of `Biography and Fiction', a chapter which, given the promises
to reveal the aesthetic merit of biography rivalling both history and the
novel, should have been the centrepiece of this book. Neither is he above
reacting personally to the biographical subject (NB Martha Gellhorn). This
is not to say that there are not some insightful and elucidating moments in
this book. The selections on the biographies of Stalin and Richard Yates stand
out among their neighbours, showcasing biography at its most compelling, through
its fresh revelation of telling anecdotes and the exposure of heretofore under-recognized
talent. In addition, the author rightly points out some of the more admirable
aspects of certain over- looked sub-genres, such as children's biography and
pictorial biography. Similarly, Rollyson shines in some of his comparative
commentary on biographers, demonstrating how biography is a consummately cumulative
and competitive enterprise, benefiting from a multiplicity of voices and texts.
In these sections, I gained a new perspective on a genre I love, and was inspired
to read about previously unknown subjects. But these were isolated moments.
270
Probably
the most frustrating thing about this book is the author's near total disregard
for bibliographic conventions. In light of his frequent reminders of his status
as a professional biographer and academic, the absence not just of a bibliography
but of any information regarding the year of publication or publishers of
the biographies he reviews, nor of the dates of his own reviews, is perplexing
and sloppy. One would think that a professional biographer would appreciate
that the devil is in the attention to this kind of detail, that much of the
author's credibility in such a `contentious' genre relies on the author's
observance of these basic prac- tices. Likewise, the editorial standards leave
much to be desired; given that this is such a short book, one would have thought
that we could have been spared not just the twice but thrice repetition of
material that blights the otherwise satisfactory `Comparing Biographers'.
In summary, I would hesitantly recommend this book, but with strong reservations
and only to those who are avid readers on the subject of biography. Essays
in biography (2005) fares considerably better, not least because of the comparative
modesty of the author's stated objective. Though the insistence on the `play
on words' represented by the title is rather forced, nonetheless the aim `to
essay, to make an attempt, a test, or a trial' (p. vii) on the nature of biographical
writing as an intrinsically unfinished enter- prise is both interesting and
commendable. And so these essays generally prove to be. The standards of Rollyson's
writing, analysis and critique are considerably improved. The essay on W.A.
Swanberg, biographer of Hearst, Pulitzer and Dreiser among other notable American
writers is particularly worthy as a polemical offering on biographical writing; though Rollyson's apologetic excusing biographers of literary figures from
attending to their subject's writings is less than convincing, his deflection
onto the development of the biographer's voice raises interesting and challenging
questions about the genre. Significantly, the quality of analysis benefits
considerably by the inclusion of a critical bibliography. Highly recommended.