Lives of the Writers

Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought)

By: Kathleen Krull

Narrated by: John C. Brown, Melissa Hughes

Twenty literary luminaries, ranging from Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare to Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain, are profiled in this entertaining and informative collection. Winner of A School Library Journal's Book of the Year Award, Lives of the Writers is both an indispensable reference tool and an exhilarating gossipfest. Author Kathleen Krull makes learning fun, painting realistic portraits of Hans Christian Andersen, Edgar Allan Poe, Frances Hodgson Burnett, the Brontë sisters, Emily Dickinson, E.B. White, Jack London, Murasaki Shikibu, Miguel de Cervantes, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane Austen, and more. Krull serves up an outstanding introduction to the classics of literature for the whole family, while telling us all the real stories behind their writers.(P)1996 Audio Bookshelf; ©1994 by Kathleen Krull; Cover Illustration: ©1994 by Kathryn Hewitt

Critic reviews

"This pair make learning historical facts jolly good fun!" (Children's Book Review)
"As much fun as a tête-a-tête with a gossipy friend....A must-have for the reference shelf." (Publishers Weekly)

Index of Content

LIVES OF THE WRITERS INDEX

0- 3:07 Introduction
3:14 - 9 Murasaki Shikibu
9:04 – 13:30 Miguel de Cervantes
13:35 – 22:56 William Shakespeare
23:01 – 28:26 Jane Austen
28:30 – 33:54 Hans Christian Anderson
33:59 – 43:34 Edgar Allan Poe
43:39 – 49:14 Charles Dickens
49:18 – 51:00:04 Charlotte and Emily Brontë
1:00:09 – 1:05:25 Emily Dickinson
1:05:28 – 1:10:57 Louisa May Alcott
1:11:03 – 1:20:21 Mark Twain
1:20:25 – 1:25:40 Francis Hodgson Burnett
1:25:46 – 1:31:02 Robert Louis Stevenson
1:31:07 – 1:36:23 Jack London
1:36:26 – 1:42:15 Carl Sandburg
1:42: 20 – 1:47:50 E. B. White
1:47:56 – 1:53:52 Zora Neale Hurston
1:53:57 – 1:59:30 Langston Hughes
1:59:24 – 2:04:56 Isaac Singer

A Few Tidbits You Didn't Know

This is a satisfying work. I found out all sorts of things about my favorite writers. Kathleen Krull crams delicious morsels into this enjoyable book from amusing anecdotes, catchy quotes to outrageous behavior. It is chock full of information I didn't know. John C Brown and Melissa Hughes did full justice to the work and made it a thorough pleasure.

Uninspired & Lazy

What was most disappointing about Kathleen Krull’s story?

This audiobook had nothing of particular interest, by that I mean it was indistinguishable from somebody dryly reading (no, skimming) various wikipedia articles, going into no specific detail, having no style or unique voice. If I were the author of this cash-in, I would be ashamed to put my name to it.