Djuna: The Life and Work of Djuna Barnes (Paperback)

~ Phillip Herring (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Biography of the cult modernist writer.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Frustrated by his futile attempts to understand Barnes's complex, poetic, satirical novel Nightwood (1936) and by the lack of a sufficient biography on the author, literary scholar Herring explored private papers and manuscripts and contacted family and acquaintances of Barnes to provide this in-depth intimate portrait of the individual and her work. It is the first comprehensive biography of American modernist Barnes (1892-1982), poet, journalist, dramatist, fiction writer, and artist. Delving into the details of Barnes's bizarre, tumultuous life, Herring portrays her family, who believed in sexual freedom; her passionate love affairs with men and women; and her depression, alcoholism, and poverty. He also relates Barnes's professional relationships with publishers and writers, such as T.S. Eliot, and their responses to the works of this ingenious writer. Readers will feel they know the character and person of Barnes intimately and will come to a better understanding of her writings.?Jeris Cassel, Rutgers Univ. Libs., New Brunswick, N.J.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (December 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140178422
• ISBN-13: 978-0140178425
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,116,927 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful book and very disturbing, July 12, 2004

By	S. A Troutt (MURFREESBORO, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Biographies are sometimes the powerful of all writing to me. The best ones are the books that open a person's life, that reveal without judgement how the person became what they were.

Djuna Barnes's early life was horrific almost beyond understanding. Rape(?),incest(?), paternal abandonment and grinding poverty -she was the financial supporter of her extended family while she was still in her late teens. Yet it is a mark of her genius that she was able to overcome all the odds and become a true modern author.

All of her best works were autobiograpical and all dealt with the critical tragedies of her life. 'Ryder' was an attempt to deal with her father - incest or rape,'Nightwood' to deal with her failed relationship with Thelma Wood, and finally 'Antiphon' to deal with her entire disfunctional family. The wellspring of her most bitter invective was her own life.

This biography is good, thorough and complete. Djuna suffered pain and repaid that pain over and over again. Her venom, her rage, the sheer angst she had flows like blood on every page. But in spite of all that, her artistry was able to give her pain a rich voice and this book captures her spirit as well as her wraith.

But in some ways, this book is almost like watching a car wreck...there is a human impulse to look away not see such suffering. I was both repelled by and drawn into the recounting of such public agony by such a private person. Djuna Barnes's writing is not meant for everyone, and this biography isn't either.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting life, dull book, September 30, 2005

By	R. Giden (Sherman Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I came across a reference to Djuna Barnes' name in another review comparing the author to Barnes. I had never heard of her despite her notoriety in the 40's. She was known for her alternate lifestyle as well as her writings, and hobnobbed with many well known artists. I purchased her book "Nightwood" at the same time I bought her biography but have not yet read it. Herring makes references to her books (with page numbers)throughout the biography and draws parallels to Barnes'life. Evidently all of her books were based on her family and their lifestyle. Her grandmother was a free soul, advocating sexual freedom and passed her views onto her son,Wald, Djuna's father. Not surprisingly, he was less than an ideal father. At one time in Djuna's childhood, her household consisted of her grandmother, her father and his wife,her many siblings, and her father's mistress and their multiple children. Despite the fascinating characters, I found Herring's book rather dry and mired in minutia. What kept me reading was the unfolding of the life of an extremely unusual and interesting person. I look forward to reading "Nightwood" and hearing about Djuna's life in her own words. I anticipate a more exciting read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too much of Herring in a book on Barnes, November 16, 2006

By	J. L. Hodges "Since I gave up hope, I feel a ... (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While I appreciated being able to find something about Djuna Barnes whose life is quite fascinating but little told, I was put off by some of Phillip Herring's style. In several places he makes reference to claims Barnes was molested as a child by either her father or possibly even her paternal grandmother. But in instance when he is suggesting the grandmother molested Barnes he says it might have been a case of "good-natured fondling." Say what???

Barnes did not make it easy for anyone to write about her. She lived a long and eventful life but to the end she refused to cooperate with those wishing to write about her life rather than those who shared her life. She was an important facet of a stunningly creative time; Paris of the twenties, when many Americans sought refuge with each other as the entire world tried to put the tremendous tragedy of World War I behind them.

Although Barnes' writing does not have the acclaim today of many others from that time (Hemingway, Stein, Joyce and Eliot to name a few) she was lauded by some of those writers who would be acclaimed as literary giants as a great source of inspiration and encouragement. It is too bad we do not have more written about her other than this florid, rather precious account of her life.

JLH