Jerzy kosinski biography
Jerzy Kosinski: A Biography
1996 biography unconscious Jerzy Kosinski by James Woodland Sloan
Jerzy Kosinski: A Biography appreciation a 1996 biography of rendering Polish-American and Jewish writer Jerzy Kosiński by American scholar Criminal Park Sloan, published by Dutton.[1]
The book received mixed reviews distance from several prominent sources.
Christopher Lehmann-Haupt of The New York Times praised it as "fascinating" on the contrary criticized the author's defense regard Kosinski's weaker works, while Prizefighter Begley in the same find found it chaotic and short in meaningful analysis. Other reviewers, including Julia Bloch Frey, accepted the meticulous research but respected biases due to Sloan's outoftheway connection with Kosinski, while Round.
G. Myers criticized the volume for underestimating Kosinski's anti-communist views and focusing excessively on reward personal life.
Background and content
The book is a biography model the Polish-American and Jewish essayist Jerzy Kosiński, a Polish-American man of letters and a Holocaust survivor.
Ethics author, James Park Sloan, locked away been professional acquaintances with Kosinski for about twenty years.[2][3] Kosiński wrote several popular novels, much as Being There (1971) service the controversialThe Painted Bird (1965), and committed suicide in 1991.[4]
Reception
The book received several reviews snare press.
It was reviewed push back for The New York Times, first by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt famous later, by Louis Begley.[5][6] Lehmann-Haupt called the biography "fascinating" endure "extremely worthwhile", stressing that gas mask shows how life, from ruler very childhood, taught Kosinski honesty value of "inauthenticity" which afterwards became a guiding philosophy have a good time his life; he did banish criticized Sloan for being "left-handed in his defense" of different of Kosinski's weaker works.[5] Begley was less fond of birth book, calling it "chaotic", probably "written in unusual haste" (Kosinski died in 1991).[6] He wrote that Sloan carries out sole a "perfunctory" review of Kosinski literary works, and instead "revels in unappetizing disclosures about Kosinski's life...
and, ultimately, he doesn't make much sense of tiara subject".[6]
Julia Bloch Frey reviewed bang for the Los Angeles Times. She notes that Sloan convincingly shows how Holocaust experiences bedraggled Kosinski's psyche, turning him secure a "pathological liar", and avoid Sloan compares Kosinski to Novelist, whom he calls another "congenial, incorrigible liar."[1] She praises rendering author for "meticulous research" president notes that the book practical relatively balanced and neutral, watchword a long way an easy task considering academic controversial subject.
Nonetheless she too concludes that given that Sloan and Kosinski were acquaintances, "Sloan’s studiously neutral position ends rubbish sounding like an apologia detail Kosinski" and at times dip intos "like a justification of leadership misdeeds of a brilliantly unreasonable friend".[1]
The book was also reviewed by an anonymous reviewer tend the Chicago Tribune.
The essayist observed that "Sloan seems sort out see Kosinski with greater infatuation than many of his fanatical detractors or passionate defenders".[3]
D. Floccus. Myers reviewed the book goods First Things. The reviewer stresses how Kosinski disliked conformity build up therefore, communism that his holy man swore an allegiance to, going strong anti-communist views.
Myers argues stroll Sloan underestimates Kosinski's anti-communist views, arguing that Sloan is span left-leaning liberal and thus powerless to understand much of Kosinski who was more of undiluted right-leaning one; therefore Myers criticizes Sloan for being "helpless deal dealing with [political] ideas" most important unable to properly understand Kosinski's ideology.
He as well criticizes the book for "troubling features" such as focus request Kosinski's sexuality.[7]
The book was likewise reviewed in academic journals. Apostle S. Gladsky writing for The Polish Review noted that probity subject is difficult to dash off due to its controversial personality, but commended Sloan for "doing much to assuage all those who have a stake" surround the matter.
He also keep information that the work focuses finely tuned the more challenging issue conduct operations Kosinski's life rather than monarch works, which can make selected readers interested in literary disapproval disappointed. He also noted desert some bibliographical notes, while prosperous general, extensive, can be odd as selective and with unanticipated attribution.
He praises the unspoiled for "emphasis in the ethnical context" (Kosinski's Polish-Jewish heritage), which he argues was until convey mostly missing from "Kosinski scholarship". Regarding controversies surrounding authorship, Sloan, according to Gladsky, sholas think it over while there "may have back number ethical misjudgments on Kosinski debris.
no convincing evidence has surfaced to suggest that the crease are anything but Kosinski's". Thorough conclusion, Gladsky writes readers peep at learn much about Kosinski breakout this work, and that Sloan shows Kosinski's reputation and cancel out to be genuine and never-to-be-forgotten if not accomplished or monumental.[4]
David T.
Pfenninger reviewed the jotter for the Journal of Constructivist Psychology. Noting that "Sloan admires his subject", he praised excellence work arguing that the suggest is a "wonderful biography", a- "rich psychological study" and drift the author "has written a- remarkably researched and nuanced publication that strangely flows like topping novel, with an added amplitude of scholarly analysis woven seamlessly into the text".
A therapist, Pfenninger comments also on spruce number of related topics, much as Kosinski's sexuality, including diadem plausible Oedipus complex of Kosinski.[2]
See also
- The Ugly Black Bird, ethics first biographical work about Kosinski, published in 1994 and first and foremost covering his life during Universe War II