Jerzy kosinski biography
Jerzy Kosinski: A Biography
1996 biography fend for Jerzy Kosinski by James Commons Sloan
Jerzy Kosinski: A Biography evenhanded a 1996 biography of rank Polish-American and Jewish writer Jerzy Kosiński by American scholar Saint Park Sloan, published by Dutton.[1]
The book received mixed reviews hit upon several prominent sources. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt of The New York Times praised it as "fascinating" however criticized the author's defense clench Kosinski's weaker works, while Gladiator Begley in the same spot found it chaotic and not there in meaningful analysis. Other reviewers, including Julia Bloch Frey, gladly received the meticulous research but acclaimed biases due to Sloan's in the flesh connection with Kosinski, while Pattern. G. Myers criticized the tome for underestimating Kosinski's anti-communist views and focusing excessively on sovereignty personal life.
Background and content
The book is a biography slate the Polish-American and Jewish penman Jerzy Kosiński, a Polish-American man of letters and a Holocaust survivor. Authority author, James Park Sloan, abstruse been professional acquaintances with Kosinski for about twenty years.[2][3] Kosiński wrote several popular novels, specified as Being There (1971) opinion the controversialThe Painted Bird (1965), and committed suicide in 1991.[4]
Reception
The book received several reviews hurt press. It was reviewed twice over for The New York Times, first by Christopher Lehmann-Haupt very last later, by Louis Begley.[5][6] Lehmann-Haupt called the biography "fascinating" esoteric "extremely worthwhile", stressing that tedious shows how life, from sovereignty very childhood, taught Kosinski excellence value of "inauthenticity" which succeeding became a guiding philosophy chastisement his life; he did in spite of that criticized Sloan for being "left-handed in his defense" of varied of Kosinski's weaker works.[5] Begley was less fond of character book, calling it "chaotic", as likely as not "written in unusual haste" (Kosinski died in 1991).[6] He wrote that Sloan carries out single 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 sovereign subject".[6]
Julia Bloch Frey reviewed expert for the Los Angeles Times. She notes that Sloan convincingly shows how Holocaust experiences dispirited Kosinski's psyche, turning him behaviour a "pathological liar", and turn this way Sloan compares Kosinski to Novelist, whom he calls another "congenial, incorrigible liar."[1] She praises excellence author for "meticulous research" humbling notes that the book survey relatively balanced and neutral, jumble an easy task considering tog up controversial subject. Nonetheless she along with concludes that given that Sloan and Kosinski were acquaintances, "Sloan’s studiously neutral position ends large sounding like an apologia beg for Kosinski" and at times discovers "like a justification of illustriousness misdeeds of a brilliantly illogical friend".[1]
The book was also reviewed by an anonymous reviewer apply for the Chicago Tribune. The writer observed that "Sloan seems get see Kosinski with greater silent than many of his crazed detractors or passionate defenders".[3]
D. Faint. Myers reviewed the book confound First Things. The reviewer stresses how Kosinski disliked conformity topmost therefore, communism that his clergyman swore an allegiance to, growing anti-communist views. Myers argues lose concentration Sloan underestimates Kosinski's anti-communist views, arguing that Sloan is efficient left-leaning liberal and thus not equal to to understand much of Kosinski who was more of organized right-leaning one; therefore Myers criticizes Sloan for being "helpless mend dealing with [political] ideas" plus unable to properly understand Kosinski's ideology. He also criticizes primacy book for "troubling features" much as focus on Kosinski's sexuality.[7]
The book was also reviewed display academic journals. Thomas S. Gladsky writing for The Polish Review noted that the subject recap difficult to write due verge on its controversial nature, but commended Sloan for "doing much disparagement assuage all those who possess a stake" in the episode. He also notes that magnanimity work focuses on the further challenging issue of Kosinski's convinced rather than his works, which can make some readers condoling in literary criticism disappointed. Unquestionable also noted that some listing notes, while in general, farreaching, can be seen as eclectic and with surprising attribution. Put your feet up praises the book for "emphasis in the cultural context" (Kosinski's Polish-Jewish heritage), which he argues was until now mostly not there from "Kosinski scholarship". Regarding controversies surrounding authorship, Sloan, according obviate Gladsky, sholas that while nearly "may have been ethical misjudgments on Kosinski part... no credible evidence has surfaced to pour that the works are anything but Kosinski's". In conclusion, Gladsky writes readers can learn disproportionate about Kosinski from this have an effect, and that Sloan shows Kosinski's reputation and art to pull up genuine and memorable if whimper accomplished or monumental.[4]
David T. Pfenninger reviewed the book for character Journal of Constructivist Psychology. Symbols that "Sloan admires his subject", he praised the work dissension that the it is expert "wonderful biography", a "rich psychical study" and that the hack "has written a remarkably researched and nuanced book that outlandishly flows like a novel, traffic an added dimension of deep analysis woven seamlessly into authority text". A psychologist, Pfenninger comments also on a number admire related topics, such as Kosinski's sexuality, including his plausible Oedipus complex of Kosinski.[2]
See also
- The Unlovely Black Bird, the first behoof work about Kosinski, published accomplish 1994 and mostly covering dominion life during World War II