I think that biographers should not strongly dislike their subjects
There is a biography of John Lennon that makes him sound horrible; I don't think he really was. Ditto one of the bios I read of Sir Richard Burton. Nor were either of them saintly - but it's easy to twist the viewpoint so that anyone can look bad, and it's harder to redeem someone who is painted as a villain than to villainize someone who was pretty much all right.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-04 08:33 pm (UTC)There is a biography of John Lennon that makes him sound horrible; I don't think he really was. Ditto one of the bios I read of Sir Richard Burton. Nor were either of them saintly - but it's easy to twist the viewpoint so that anyone can look bad, and it's harder to redeem someone who is painted as a villain than to villainize someone who was pretty much all right.
Love some of his poetry, though.
I think that's the best he would wish for!