Biography Books > T Biography Books > H > William Horwood

Advantages: Beautifully written, moving, sharp and tormenting story.
Disadvantages: Slow in parts, not as comprehensive as an "auto-biography"

...he created classics such as the Duncton Chronicles and Skallagrig - one of my all time favourite books. When I discovered "The Boy With No Shoes" I was shocked to discover that this was the painful story of the author's childhood not ever having imagined that he could come from such a harsh physical, and particularly barren emotional background. The story is told set in the fictional coastal town of "Stoning" in Kent during the post Second World ...
...from boyhood into adult life, the place settings and characters are all fictitious but clearly based on the important people in the author's life. I would describe Horwood as a literary artist; the way in which he constructs language so that it translates into "images" is a skill that very few writers possess. The only other writer that I've encountered who stirs such an emotional reaction in me through the way they write prose is Sir Bob Geldof ... Read review

Advantages: All
Disadvantages: Short: You dont want it to end.

...in the 1920's he was a young unknown writer, poor but happy and in love with Hadley his first wife. At this time, Hemingway was surrounded by the writers of the time, the expatriots or, "the lost generation"; a term that he both coined and refused to be called. Aleister Crowley, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Madox Ford, Hilaire Belloc, Pascin, John Dos Passos, James Joyce and Gertrude Stein, are some of the prominant figures referenced in ...
...these reasons, the nature of A Moveable Feast is changed, it is very much non-fiction and just as much fiction. This is the same for his other books, taking references from his own life. 192 pages (UK Edition) A set of memoirs of Hemingways life in Paris. Published December 1964. OPINION Hemingway is one of my favourite writers, his understatement, his simple honesty and wit. A Moveable Feast is personal, a time when his life was unstable; written ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting and lots to learn
Disadvantages: Noting really unless you dont like Charlotte!

Keep Smiling is the biography which has been written by Charlotte Church. Yes she is only still very young an did seems very daft for her to have written a book already but she has done so much and lead a very busy life since the age of 12 that she does indeed fill a whole book with her tales. I did not particularly go out of my way to get this book but when I saw it on offer in the shops I thought it might be quite interesting to read and find out ...
...young age. She really did keep herself grounded and did not let it go to her head. In the book there are 4 sections which show photographs of Charlotte at different times in her life and there are also some very good shots of her meeting other famous people. These are great and interesting to see as they help you to picture her in some of the stories she is telling us. I do believe that she is right in saying the press did go for her when she turned ... Read review

Advantages: captivating! compassionate! compelling!
Disadvantages: There is some american jargon , thus it is key to remember the setting!

...the typiocal naughty traits of Marley the loveable lab. A story with comedy, romance and tragedy :(- I won't reveal the plot. However, I will reveal that Marley is such a loveable and true life character that you cannot resist but falling in love with him. This is one of those books that you can't put down and you'll want to read it again and again and again. Everyone needs a Marley in their lives and a book for any age , this one means that they ... Read review

Advantages: Eye-opening and gripping.
Disadvantages: Graphic, yet I do not preceive this to be a disadvantage as such, rather a mere warning.

...this autobiographical novel to be a highly thought-provoking, gripping read. It is considerably graphic and goes into great depth regarding David's experiences as a terribly abused and neglected child. David's mother is the catalyst for his suffering. The book acted as an insightful interpretation of the trtth of domestic abuse. This book made me cry on several ocassions. It explores the different dynamics of relationships within the family and challenges ... Read review