{"product_id":"autobiography-9780199669240","title":"Autobiography","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAutobiography is one of the most popular of written forms. From Casanova to Benjamin Franklin to the Kardashians, individuals throughout history have recorded their own lives and experiences. These personal writings are central to the work of literary critics, philosophers, historians and psychologists, who have found in autobiographies from across the centuries not only an understanding of the ways in which lives have been lived, but the most fundamental accounts of what it means to be a self in the world. In this Very Short Introduction Laura Marcus defines what we mean by ''autobiography'', and considers its relationship with similar literary forms such as memoirs, journals, letters, diaries, and essays. Analysing the core themes in autobiographical writing, such as confession, conversion and testimony; romanticism and the journeying self; Marcus discusses the autobiographical consciousness (and the roles played by time, memory and identity), and considers the relationship between psychoanalysis and autobiography. Exploring the themes of self-portraiture and performance, Marcus also discusses the ways in which fiction and autobiography have shaped each other.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMarcus's book is an excellent overview of autobiographical writing from diverse literatures and genres, paying particular attention to women writers and philosophical questions. * Philipp Reisner, Journal of the Austrian Association for American Studies *\u003cbr\u003eexcellent VSI * ANZ LitLovers LiBlog *\u003cbr\u003eA useful and entertaining introduction to autobiography by its foremost theorist. Clear, comprehensive, and very clever. For students and scholars alike. * Zachary Leader, University of Roehampton *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction 1: Confession, Conversion, Testimony 2: The Journeying Self 3: Autobiographical Consciousness 4: Autobiography and psychoanalysis 5: Family Histories and the Autobiography of Childhood 6: Public Selves 7: Self-portraiture, photography and performance References Further Reading Index","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732879782231,"sku":"9780199669240","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199669240.jpg?v=1719998789","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/autobiography-9780199669240","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}