MetaChat - I can't think of a smart way to....

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20 January 2010

I can't think of a smart way to.... sort out HOW to pick a biography of someone. For instance, it recently occurred to me that I'd like to read a good bio of Dean Martin. But...there are a few out there. Any ideas how you'd decide which biographies are WORTH reading?

post by: richat at: 15:54 | 18 comments

Also, I'm pretty sure there's a logical way to do this, but for some reason...it escapes me right now. Forgive the silly question, if you will.

posted by richat 20 January | 15:56

How about by who writes them?

posted by warbaby 20 January | 16:06

I recently did this (uh, but sorta kinda backwardsy) for a Robert Altman bio. I saw it in the bookstore, decided for a few reasons (but mostly because I didn't want to add the big fat book to the pile of things I was carrying home) not to buy it right then.

A day or two later, I went to Amazon and checked the book's page, which included a couple of thumbnail reviews from Actual Book Reviewers and a spot where they recommend other similar texts you might be interested in, in addition to or instead of the bio you're currently considering.

And then I went back and bought the thing at the local bookstore.

Does this make me a cheat, using Amazon's resources and then buying the book elsewhere? I guess so. (My policy is: I buy from the local bookstores when I reasonably can, when they have it in stock, or when they don't sigh at the prospect of a special order. If they sigh, I order it online.)

posted by Elsa 20 January | 16:06

I generally search the NYT book review archives and pick the one that sounds like it best suits what I want to read.

posted by mudpuppie 20 January | 16:08

I usually pick the newest, because chances are they've discovered new information on the subject, and the vocabulary isn't dated. (I remember being yelled at in high school for not knowing what blanc-mange was.) But if said new book is just trash by the author who's hoping to make a buck, a quick google for reviews (as well as, often, the book jacket information) will reveal that pretty quickly.

On the other hand, reading the first biography is often good too, because chances are the subject knew the author. I dunno. Good question.

posted by Melismata 20 January | 16:11

These days I research them on amazon.com to figure out which seem the most respected or scholarly or liked or whatever. Then I get it from the library. If it's really good I might buy it later on.

posted by JanetLand 20 January | 16:15

Ah, a bunch of good ideas here. Thanks! It's tough with someone like Dean too, because I'd like something thorough, but not too trashy. He strikes me as a kinda of guy who might have some trashy stuff written!

posted by richat 20 January | 16:23

And sometimes, reading bios from first to last can be a fascinating discourse. I've read almost every bio of Helen Keller, and the most recent one says, "in the previous bio, so-and-so says this, but actually, I disagree, and here's why..." It's like one big detective story.

But you're right, with someone like Dean the biographers may not read one another all that much. :) Good luck.

posted by Melismata 20 January | 16:29

Melismata, that makes me wonder: is there a more up-to-date term for blancmange? It seems like such an old-fashioned dish that it should retain its old-fashioned name.

Yes, I am off to google blanchmange modern terminology OR name.

posted by Elsa 20 January | 16:30

Elsa: I dunno, cornstarch pudding? Plain whipped jello? Another good question can't google right at the moment

posted by Melismata 20 January | 16:36

Oh, it was a not-quite-rhetorical question, Melismata --- don't worry about answering it, unless there's a story attached. I can check it out myself, and it was more an idle "Gee, people* sure are weird about obscure stuff, huh?" kinda question than anything else.

* The being-weird people in question, obviously, are the ones yelling at you, not you.

posted by Elsa 20 January | 16:40

I do exactly what JanetLand does.
oh, how I love the NYPL system

posted by gaspode 20 January | 16:45

I got that Elsa, thanks. :) But I was curious too, as I have the disease of many bunnies who are way too curious about anything and everything. And a great love of biographies.

posted by Melismata 20 January | 16:48

I like all the gossip and scandal, so I look for the Kitty Kelly/Albert Goldman end of the market.

posted by essexjan 20 January | 16:51

Little bit of everything, I guess, aided by the fact that I work at a library. I usually read reviews, then check out/ILL all the books that sound even half-promising, then read a couple pages until something sounds good.

And as others have suggested, it depends a lot on what I want to read. The kind of biography I want to read about Ronald Reagan is very different than the one I want to read about Led Zeppelin, y'know?

posted by box 20 January | 17:16

The only bio of Dean Martin I am aware of is the one by Nick Tosches and people I know who have read it liked it. So I would probably start with that one.

posted by Obscure Reference 20 January | 18:08

Again, thanks for the tips, and Obscure (Danger) Reference, thanks for the book recommendation!

posted by richat 20 January | 20:47

I juggle with how recently it was written, by whom and whether I'm looking for the serious or the gossipy/scandalous side of the story.

posted by deborah 21 January | 20:28

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