Writers' Houses [Hardcover]

Francesca Premoli-Droulens (Author), Erica Lennard (Photographer), Marguerite Duras (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002

The houses of writers are often places of both creation and inspiration, studio as much as home. This wonderful book takes readers into the intimacy of the homes of 20 great international figures--from Hemingway's simple, tropical world on Key West to the Connecticut Yankee home of Mark Twain to William Faulkner's Oxford plantation--to reveal their private worlds. 220 photos, 200 in color.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A house is doubly important to a writer--not only as a home for oneself, but often as a workplace in which to write quietly and undisturbed (a concept Virginia Woolf lobbied for in her famous book A Room of One's Own). Writers' Houses captures these intimate places in which some of the world's greatest writers spent their most creative hours.

Twenty renowned writers of the last century are profiled in the places they lived, including Ernest Hemingway, Alberto Moravia, Hermann Hesse, Mark Twain, and Virginia Woolf, among others. Some of these authors' houses form a part of the oeuvre in which they write--Ernest Hemingway's Key West home or William Faulkner's Mississippi mansion, for example. In fact, many of the authors in Writers' Houses, such as Isak Dinesen, Dylan Thomas, William Butler Yeats, and Vita Sackville-West, were influenced by their homes and surroundings to the extent that their reputations are inextricably linked to those places.

The large color photographs reveal the private places in which these authors lived and worked, surrounded by photos of loved ones, mementos of travels, and views of their gardens or the sea. Author Francesca Premoli-Droulers writes eloquently of the events that led to the purchase of each home, as well as the activities that took place there.

Many of the writers featured here led lives full of turbulence and upheaval at one time or another, and their homes marked one of the few places in which they found a place to write in solitude and comfort. Writers' Houses allows us access into these writers' private worlds, where some of their most famous creations came to life. --Kris Law

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Vendome Press (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865659648
• ISBN-13: 978-0865659643
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #756,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overall combination of words and photos, April 4, 2001

By 

J. Lizzi (Costa Mesa, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writers' Houses (Hardcover)

Not having studied anything about the lives of famous authors, I found "Writers' Houses" intriguing nevertheless. Francesca Premoli-Droulers presents a nice "pictorial tour" of the homes and properties, and does a great job of describing the emotional connection between the artists' lives and the places where they created their literary works. The first-rate photography, by Erica Lennard, is a superb complement to the text.

Each of the 21 homes (including that of Marguerite Duras, who wrote the prologue) is presented over eight to ten pages--with an equal number of color photos--of reverent writing and stories about what brought the author to that particular home, the inspiration created by the residence and its grounds, and the goings-on of the day. It's excellent reading.

Photographer Lennard more often than not does a good job of capturing the natural lighting to give depth and "feel" to the interior spaces. My favorite shots are the ones of doorways, stairways and porches. There are also close-ups of desks, books, and various nicknacks, which add intimacy and personality to the pictures, although perspective is occasionally lost from being a little too close up. Also, it would have been perfect to see some aerial photos of the extent of the grounds and the character of their settings, especially for the Dossi, Faulkner, Hemingway, Hesse and Moravia homes. Still, this is a first-rate addition to anyone's library.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Private Glimpse Behind The Pages, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Writers' Houses (Hardcover)

Duras introduces this photo essay with her trademark verse. Her style of stating her perceptions and then restating thoughts in her legendary flip-flop manner, cement their importance and leave a lasting impression. The photos are magnificent. They seem to represent the essence of the writers: from personal belongings scattered about, to the sparce quarters envisioned surrounding a creator at work. I had visited Ernest Hemmingway's home in Cuba and immediately recognized his Key West home as his. A fine addition to anyone's library, this book appeals to the artist and romantic in all of us.

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE ABSOLUTE BEST!, September 13, 2005

By 

Nancy Caudill (Mesa, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writers' Houses (Hardcover)

This is without a doubt the most favorite book I have ever owned.
Thanks to Amazon, I was able to find and replace the one that I had lost while moving! I have read it and looked at the beautiful photos countless times, and never tire of it!

Nancy C.
Mesa, AZ