Review by Choice Review
Another landmark study of autobiography by Couser, whose first book, American Autobiography: The Prophetic Mode (CH, Oct'79), tied the genre to the communal visionary tradition. Now he examines the elusive and complicated nature of life writing in light of poststructuralist and deconstructionist studies that challenge its authority. The claims are that autobiographers lack the autonomy to relate truthfully their life stories because of cultural and linguistic constraints. To illustrate the confusion about the genre, Couser discusses Clifford Irving's counterfeit autobiography of Howard Hughes. The many elements of indeterminancy that characterize personal writing, such as recollection's unreliability, editorial collaboration, and class, race, gender, and language limitations, make autobiography difficult to authenticate and define. Couser, however, tackles the complex works of Franklin, P.T. Barnum, Twain, Douglass, Mary Chesnut, Black Elk, Richard Rodriguez, and Maxine Hong Kingston. A major point is that "all writing is more conditioned by conventions--less original and distinctive of its authors--than we may like to think." Thus, rather than agonize over strict rules, Couser would examine all forms of life writing as they are and evaluate them on their own terms. Highly recommended for undergraduate, graduate students, and faculty. -A. Costanzo, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
