Overview
Building on his enormously successful series of Philosophers in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern now applies his witty and incisive prose to brief biographical studies of the world's great writers. He brings their lives and ideas to life in entertaining and accessible fashion. Far from being a novelty, each book is a highly refined appraisal of the writer and his work, authoritative and clearly presented.
Synopsis
Building on his enormously successful series of Philosophers in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern now applies his witty and incisive prose to brief biographical studies of the world's great writers. He brings their lives and ideas to life in entertaining and accessible fashion. Far from being a novelty, each book is a highly refined appraisal of the writer and his work, authoritative and clearly presented.
Tennessean
It furnishes a quick way for general readers to familiarize themselves with writers they wish to read or re-read.
Editorials
Foreword Magazine
Succinct and easy-to-read synopsis of the unusual—even dysfunctional—life.ForeWord Reviews
Succinct and easy-to-read synopsis of the unusual—even dysfunctional—life.Tennessean
It furnishes a quick way for general readers to familiarize themselves with writers they wish to read or re-read.— Brian J. Buchanan
The Bookwatch
Fine guide, especially recommended for students. Provide[s] concise overviews...Makes an easily digested introduction.Birmingham News
[Strathern] offers insights on great authors so you can understand and enjoy them. Brainy!Boston Globe
Witty and dramatic…I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization.New York Times
Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them…I find them hard to stop reading.Tennessean
It furnishes a quick way for general readers to familiarize themselves with writers they wish to read or re-read.KLIATT
Strathern's rapid-fire summation of the life and works of Fyodor Dostoevsky is well written and easily digested, but thin on such issues as the causes of Raskolnikov's madness and the hardships of widows and girls who fall prey to deceivers and to prostitution. The layout provides capsules of information on nine of the author's titles and explains such minutiae as the addition of vich to indicate a Russian patronym and the relation of kaiser and tsar to the Latin Caesar. For the student seeking an overview of Dostoevsky's fiction, the text speeds too quickly over the plots of major works. It concludes with a detailed chronology blending events from the milieu with the high points in the author's life; for example, the rumblings of discontent within the peasantry and military against the tsar and the births of Lenin and Stalin. Following an annotated bibliography of eight suggested readings is a skeletal index. Strathern is more comfortable explaining the rise of Marxism than he is at relaying the literary elements of characterization, setting, atmosphere, and themes such as justice and guilt. School and public libraries should use caution in finding a place for such introductions to classic novels. (Editor's note: Also newly available from the publisher are Kafka in 90 Minutes (1-56663-620-5), and Garcia Marquez in 90 Minutes (1-56663-622-1), both by Paul Strathern.) KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2004, Ivan R, Dee. 125p. bibliog. index., Ages 15 to adult.—Mary Snodgrass