Interpreting the Self: Two Hundred Years of American Autobiography [Hardcover]

Diane Bjorklund (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226054470 | ISBN-13: 978-0226054476 | Publication Date: January 1, 1999 | Edition: 1

In this ambitious study, Diane Bjorklund explores the historical nature of self-narrative. Examining over 100 American autobiographers published in the last two centuries, she discusses not only well-known autobiographies such as Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie but also many obscure ones such as a traveling book peddler, a minstrel, a hotel proprietress, an itinerant preacher, a West Point cadet, and a hoopskirt wire manufacturer. Bjorklund draws on the colorful stories of these autobiographers to show how their historical epoch shapes their understandings of self.

"A refreshingly welcome approach to this intriguing topic. . . . [Bjorklund's] extensive and systematic approach to her source material is impressive and enriches our understanding of this essential subject."—Virginia Quarterly Review

"Bjorklund studies both famous and obscure writers, and her clear prose style and copious quotations provide insight into the many aspects of the changing American self." —Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These studies of autobiographical writing approach the topic from different angles. Bjorklund, a social scientist, analyzes the genre from the perspectives of psychology, sociology, and ethnic studies. She has selected five representative titles from each decade starting from 1800 and examines them from in terms of how the concept of self has changed in U.S. history and society. She divides the book into four sections: religious autobiographies, the works of business or "self-made" individuals, the psychological aspects of life-writing, and ways in which society and the environment have molded lives. Bjorklund studies both famous and obscure writers, and her clear prose style and copious quotations provide insight into the many aspects of the changing American self. Olney is a professor of literature (Louisiana State Univ.) and is therefore more interested in how certain authors have made narrative out of memory. He focuses on three landmark autobiographers: St. Augustine, one of the first life-writers, who used his life to illustrate religious doctrines; Rousseau, who was only interested in how his own feelings and thoughts made an impact on society; and Samuel Beckett, who invested his novels and plays with his own, ultimately hopeless quest to understand his life story. Olney's analyses are complex, but his exhaustive readings of these three main authors illuminate their methods and struggles. Bjorklund's study is appropriate for undergraduate collections, while Olney's is geared for graduate studies.?Morris Hounion, NYC Technical Coll. Lib., Brooklyn, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 278 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226054470
• ISBN-13: 978-0226054476
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,574,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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