Autobiography: A Very Short Introduction
- ISBN-10
- 0191647047
- ISBN-13
- 9780191647048
- Series
- Autobiography
- Category
- Biography & Autobiography
- Pages
- 144
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2018-05-31
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Author
- Laura Marcus
Description
Autobiography is one of the most popular of written forms. From Casanova to Benjamin Franklin to the Kardashians, individuals throughout history have recorded their own lives and experiences. These personal writings are central to the work of literary critics, philosophers, historians and psychologists, who have found in autobiographies from across the centuries not only an understanding of the ways in which lives have been lived, but the most fundamental accounts of what it means to be a self in the world. In this Very Short Introduction Laura Marcus defines what we mean by 'autobiography', and considers its relationship with similar literary forms such as memoirs, journals, letters, diaries, and essays. Analysing the core themes in autobiographical writing, such as confession, conversion and testimony; romanticism and the journeying self; Marcus discusses the autobiographical consciousness (and the roles played by time, memory and identity), and considers the relationship between psychoanalysis and autobiography. Exploring the themes of self-portraiture and performance, Marcus also discusses the ways in which fiction and autobiography have shaped each other. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2019-02-20
- 320 pages
- Paperback
- Wentworth Press
Similar books
-
The Autobiography of William Carlos Williams
By William Carlos WilliamsPresents the autobiography of the respected American poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, and physician.
-
Something Like An Autobiography
By Akira Kurosawa" --Variety "For the lover of Kurosawa's movies...this is nothing short of must reading...a fitting companion piece to his many dynamic and absorbing screen entertainments." --Washington Post Book World
-
Book
By John AgardFrom clay tablets to e-readers, here is a quirky, kid-friendly look at the book. Books are one of humankind's greatest forms of expression, and now Book, in a witty, idiosyncratic voice, tells us the inside story.
-
The Book of Myself: A Do-It-Yourself Autobiography in 201 Questions
By David Marshall, Carl MarshallThe Book of Myself is a do-it-yourself memoir that helps you record and preserve the experiences, relationships, and lessons that define you.
-
Autobiography of a Corpse
By Sigizmund KrzhizhanovskyThis new collection of eleven mind-bending and spellbinding tales includes some of Krzhizhanovsky’s most dazzling conceits: a provincial journalist who moves to Moscow finds his existence consumed by the autobiography of his room’s ...
-
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
By Benjamin FranklinThe text of this celebrated work by the early American statesman and inventor is supplemented by notes on its creation and influence.
-
Book: My Autobiography
By John AgardFrom clay tablets to e-readers, here is a quirky, kid-friendly look at the book. Books are one of humankind’s greatest forms of expression, and now Book, in a witty, idiosyncratic voice, tells us the inside story.
-
Classic American Autobiographies
By William L. AndrewsThis classic collection of American autobiographies brings together five frequently-taught texts that offer the widest variety of the American experience: A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary...
-
An Autobiography
By Agatha ChristieAgatha Christie’s ‘most absorbing mystery’ – her own autobiography.
-
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
By Malcolm X, Alex HaleyMalcolm X's The Autobiography of Malcolm X was written in collaboration with Alex Haley, author of Roots, and includes an introduction by Paul Gilroy, author of The Black Atlantic, in Penguin Modern Classics.