Written Lives

From Rudyard Kipling to James Joyce, Emily Bronte to Vernon Lee and Henry James to Joseph Conrad, Written Lives throws a new and fascinating light upon these well-known literary figures. Inspired to revisit the lives of some of the world’s most eminent writers of all time, looking at them from the angle of some peculiar detail of their lives, Javier Marias provides a lively and illuminating insight into personalities we thought we knew everything about. Told with affection and humour, these brief ‘written lives’ throw a refreshing, and very human, light on authors too-often enshrined, or entombed, within the halo of artistic sainthood.

Reviews of Written Lives

"Javier Marias is such an elegant, witty and persuasive writer that it is tempting simply to quote him at length" The Scotsman "Brief, playful, charming and insightful." Metro "…sprightly and entertaining…these essays are often as evocative of their subjects and as full of illuminating little nuggets of information as a well-written obituary." TLS"