Fanny Kemble's Journals: Edited and with an Introduction by Catherine Clinton (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780674004405)

Henry James called Fanny Kemble's autobiography "one of the most animated autobiographies in the language." Born into the first family of the British stage, Fanny Kemble was one of the most famous woman writers of the English-speaking world, a best-selling author on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to her essays, poetry, plays, and a novel, Kemble published six works of memoir, eleven volumes in all, covering her life, which began in the first decade of the nineteenth century and ended in the last. Her autobiographical writings are compelling evidence of Kemble's wit and talent, and they also offer a dazzling overview of her transatlantic world.

Kemble kept up a running commentary in letters and diaries on the great issues of her day. The selections here provide a narrative thread tracing her intellectual development--especially her views on women and slavery. She is famous for her identification with abolitionism, and many excerpts reveal her passionate views on the subject. The selections show a life full of personal tragedy as well as professional achievements. An elegant introduction provides a context for appreciating Kemble's remarkable life and achievements, and the excerpts from her journals allow her, once again, to speak for herself.

Author: Fanny Kemble
ISBN-10: 067400440X
ISBN-13: 9780674004405
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Language: English
Published: 09/11/2000
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.82lbs
Size: 8.87h x 5.93w x 0.61d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/07/2000 pg. 84
Library Journal 08/01/2000 pg. 124
New York Times 09/10/2000 pg. 46
Choice 03/01/2001 pg. 1330
Library Journal 08/09/2000
Booklist 09/15/2000 pg. 213