Storyteller: The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson
Autor Leo Damroschen Limba Engleză Hardback – 2 sep 2025
Best of 2025 Lists: Wall Street Journal, Top 10 • Economist • Times Literary Supplement • Air Mail, Top 10 • Christian Science Monitor, Top 25 • Washington Post, Notable Works of Nonfiction • Literary Hub, “Ultimate Best Books” • World Today Journal, Top 25
“Damrosch brings to Stevenson’s life the calm, humane interpretive powers that he deployed with such success in . . . The Club. . . . [An] excellent book.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) is famed for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but he published many other novels and stories before his death at forty-four. Despite lifelong ill health, he had immense vitality; Mark Twain said his eyes burned with “smoldering rich fire.” Born in Edinburgh to a family of lighthouse engineers, Stevenson set many stories in Scotland but sought travel and adventure in a life as romantic as his novels. “I loved a ship,” he wrote, “as a man loves burgundy or daybreak.” The adventures were shared with his free-spirited American wife, Fanny, with whom he moved to the South Pacific.
Samoan friends named Stevenson “Storyteller.” Reading, he said, “should be absorbing and voluptuous; we should gloat over a book, be rapt clean out of ourselves.” His own books have been translated into dozens of languages. Jorge Luis Borges called his stories “one of the forms of happiness,” and other modernist masters as various as Proust, Nabokov, and Calvino have paid tribute to his greatness as a literary artist.
In Storyteller, Leo Damrosch brings to life an unforgettable personality, illuminated by many who knew Stevenson well and drawing from thousands of the writer’s letters in his many voices and moods—playful, imaginative, at times tragic.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9780300268621
ISBN-10: 0300268629
Pagini: 584
Ilustrații: 17 color + 88 b-w illus.
Dimensiuni: 156 x 235 x 42 mm
Greutate: 0.78 kg
Editura: Yale University Press
Colecția Yale University Press
ISBN-10: 0300268629
Pagini: 584
Ilustrații: 17 color + 88 b-w illus.
Dimensiuni: 156 x 235 x 42 mm
Greutate: 0.78 kg
Editura: Yale University Press
Colecția Yale University Press
Recenzii
“Damrosch brings to Stevenson’s life the calm, humane interpretive powers that he deployed with such success in . . . The Club. . . . Stevenson was a master of sensory clarity, [and] learning how he achieved his ‘kinetic’ effects is one of the great pleasures of this excellent book.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal
“Damrosch makes a convincing case for [Stevenson] as a skilled stylist and innovative narrator. . . . I was inspired—and thankful—to reread Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which I hadn’t read in decades, and which is a masterpiece. It’s a marvel of long elegant sentences, of precise word choice, of the economy with which Stevenson draws and uses his characters, and of sheer fun in how the plot moves and the puzzles are solved.”—Francine Prose, New York Times Book Review
“Damrosch restores Stevenson to the literary prominence he richly deserves—not only as a creator of heart-stopping tales but as a deeply introspective, stylistically daring writer whose life was just as adventurous as his fiction.”—Tobias Grey, Washington Post
A Wall Street Journal Top 10 Book of 2025
Named a Best Book of 2025 by The Economist
Listed in Washington Post’s “50 Notable Works of Nonfiction from 2025”
A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year 2025
A World Today Journal Top 25 Book of 2025
Named a Top 25 Book of 2025 by Christian Science Monitor
Named to Literary Hub’s “Ultimate Best Books of 2025 List”
An Air Mail Top 10 Book of 2025
Selected for “5 Books We Loved This Week,” New York Times Book Review
“A generous and capacious account. . . . All is well paced, with satisfying touches of offhand laconic wit. It is a fitting tribute to Tusitala, the master storyteller.”—Margaret Drabble, Times Literary Supplement
“Damrosch . . . avoids both idolatry and iconoclasm. Well-paced and thoroughly researched, this new biography never assumes that the reader has a prior acquaintance with Stevenson. Damrosch tells the reader not just what happens in Stevenson’s books, but why they should care.”—The Economist
“Shrewd, convincing and beguiling.”—William Boyd, Times Literary Supplement
“‘Stevenson’s published output was remarkable,’ Damrosch writes, noting 11 novels, more than 100 essays, and several hundred poems. Such an oeuvre defies easy summary, though author Richard Holmes came close. Stevenson, he wrote, ‘made the dreams of childhood sing with adult possibilities.’ In Storyteller, those possibilities sing again.”—Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor
“Damrosch is one of the preeminent literary biographers of our time, and this magnificent biography of Robert Louis Stevenson reveals much about a writer that we think we knew. . . . Dazzling.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Damrosch brings the celebrated novelist to life. It’s a notable achievement.”—Publishers Weekly
“A sensible, sympathetic and thorough commentary. . . . Its most significant achievement is to make a wise judgement about what continues to matter in Stevenson’s work, and to catch the brilliance and flair of his engagement with other people.”—Andrew Motion, New Statesman
“[Damrosch] knows his stuff; . . . he synthesises well; and he arrives at a thoroughly satisfying overview of his subject’s life and work.”—Andrew Lycett, Spectator
“A marvellous chronicle of the colorful writer’s short life and many popular works.”—Alex Johnson, Fine Books & Collections
“[Damrosch] writes beautifully and uses Stevenson’s 3,000 letters and unpublished memoirs astutely. More importantly, he seems to be prepared to give a flawed man torn by ‘the duality of human nature’ a fair hearing. I’d heartily recommend this wonderful biography.”—Scottish Field
“A reader keen to learn more about the author of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to meet the original for Long John Silver, to experience the atmosphere of 1870s student Edinburgh, will find a comprehensive and well-written account in Storyteller.”—James Campbell, New Criterion
“Author of highly regarded books on Rousseau, Casanova, Jonathan Swift, and the circle of Samuel Johnson, Damrosch is the kind of scholar who knows a character when he sees one. . . . Stevenson proves a perfect subject for him—eccentric, vital, adventurous, and, with good reason, beloved. Storyteller is thoroughly researched and copiously illustrated, but more than that, it is deeply moving in its shape and detail. It is not only about one marvelous man, whom many of us wish we could have known, but also about a great marriage, illuminating friendships and the freedom-seeking literary life.”—David Mason, Hudson Review
“A life as rich in letters as it was adventure, Stevenson’s is certainly worthy of Damrosch’s talents as a biographer.”—Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub, “Most Anticipated Books of 2025”
“In this biography told as an adventure story, Leo Damrosch convincingly portrays R. L. Stevenson as one of the most endearing writers in the English language.”—Alberto Manguel, author of A Reader on Reading
“This will now stand as the standard modern life of Robert Louis Stevenson, its scholarly authority enhanced by its readability. The events of Stevenson’s extraordinary life are narrated with verve, and RLS himself is brought vividly before us, his complexity and charisma conveyed without any note of hagiography (or, conversely, critical debunking).”—Ian Duncan, University of California, Berkeley
“This is a Stevenson biography aimed at readers of Stevenson. RLS sought adventure in his lifetime; his contemporaries were admiring and envious of his bold, restless spirit, and the twenty-first-century reader is no less likely to relish this quest to encounter the elemental forces of a powerful storm, a forty-below cold spell, or a desperate dash across the American continent to find the romantic partner of one’s dreams.”—William Sharpe, author of The Art of Walking: A History in 100 Images
“In this superb and richly atmospheric biography, Damrosch brings all his fine scholarly attention to the strange world of Stevenson’s fictions and poetry, but also revels in his gloriously outspoken letters and his fraught but intensely vivid friendships. This is a large, beautiful, and mature biographic portrait.”—Richard Holmes, author of The Age of Wonder
“Is there a better biographer alive today than Leo Damrosch? His latest, a full-scale biography of Robert Louis Stevenson, is a brilliant storytelling achievement worthy of both its title and the redoubtable subject at its center. Stevenson lived more in his forty-four years than most do in a lifetime.”—Morten Høi Jensen, author of The Master of Contradictions: Thomas Mann and the Making of “The Magic Mountain”
“Damrosch makes a convincing case for [Stevenson] as a skilled stylist and innovative narrator. . . . I was inspired—and thankful—to reread Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which I hadn’t read in decades, and which is a masterpiece. It’s a marvel of long elegant sentences, of precise word choice, of the economy with which Stevenson draws and uses his characters, and of sheer fun in how the plot moves and the puzzles are solved.”—Francine Prose, New York Times Book Review
“Damrosch restores Stevenson to the literary prominence he richly deserves—not only as a creator of heart-stopping tales but as a deeply introspective, stylistically daring writer whose life was just as adventurous as his fiction.”—Tobias Grey, Washington Post
A Wall Street Journal Top 10 Book of 2025
Named a Best Book of 2025 by The Economist
Listed in Washington Post’s “50 Notable Works of Nonfiction from 2025”
A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year 2025
A World Today Journal Top 25 Book of 2025
Named a Top 25 Book of 2025 by Christian Science Monitor
Named to Literary Hub’s “Ultimate Best Books of 2025 List”
An Air Mail Top 10 Book of 2025
Selected for “5 Books We Loved This Week,” New York Times Book Review
“A generous and capacious account. . . . All is well paced, with satisfying touches of offhand laconic wit. It is a fitting tribute to Tusitala, the master storyteller.”—Margaret Drabble, Times Literary Supplement
“Damrosch . . . avoids both idolatry and iconoclasm. Well-paced and thoroughly researched, this new biography never assumes that the reader has a prior acquaintance with Stevenson. Damrosch tells the reader not just what happens in Stevenson’s books, but why they should care.”—The Economist
“Shrewd, convincing and beguiling.”—William Boyd, Times Literary Supplement
“‘Stevenson’s published output was remarkable,’ Damrosch writes, noting 11 novels, more than 100 essays, and several hundred poems. Such an oeuvre defies easy summary, though author Richard Holmes came close. Stevenson, he wrote, ‘made the dreams of childhood sing with adult possibilities.’ In Storyteller, those possibilities sing again.”—Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor
“Damrosch is one of the preeminent literary biographers of our time, and this magnificent biography of Robert Louis Stevenson reveals much about a writer that we think we knew. . . . Dazzling.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Damrosch brings the celebrated novelist to life. It’s a notable achievement.”—Publishers Weekly
“A sensible, sympathetic and thorough commentary. . . . Its most significant achievement is to make a wise judgement about what continues to matter in Stevenson’s work, and to catch the brilliance and flair of his engagement with other people.”—Andrew Motion, New Statesman
“[Damrosch] knows his stuff; . . . he synthesises well; and he arrives at a thoroughly satisfying overview of his subject’s life and work.”—Andrew Lycett, Spectator
“A marvellous chronicle of the colorful writer’s short life and many popular works.”—Alex Johnson, Fine Books & Collections
“[Damrosch] writes beautifully and uses Stevenson’s 3,000 letters and unpublished memoirs astutely. More importantly, he seems to be prepared to give a flawed man torn by ‘the duality of human nature’ a fair hearing. I’d heartily recommend this wonderful biography.”—Scottish Field
“A reader keen to learn more about the author of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, to meet the original for Long John Silver, to experience the atmosphere of 1870s student Edinburgh, will find a comprehensive and well-written account in Storyteller.”—James Campbell, New Criterion
“Author of highly regarded books on Rousseau, Casanova, Jonathan Swift, and the circle of Samuel Johnson, Damrosch is the kind of scholar who knows a character when he sees one. . . . Stevenson proves a perfect subject for him—eccentric, vital, adventurous, and, with good reason, beloved. Storyteller is thoroughly researched and copiously illustrated, but more than that, it is deeply moving in its shape and detail. It is not only about one marvelous man, whom many of us wish we could have known, but also about a great marriage, illuminating friendships and the freedom-seeking literary life.”—David Mason, Hudson Review
“A life as rich in letters as it was adventure, Stevenson’s is certainly worthy of Damrosch’s talents as a biographer.”—Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub, “Most Anticipated Books of 2025”
“In this biography told as an adventure story, Leo Damrosch convincingly portrays R. L. Stevenson as one of the most endearing writers in the English language.”—Alberto Manguel, author of A Reader on Reading
“This will now stand as the standard modern life of Robert Louis Stevenson, its scholarly authority enhanced by its readability. The events of Stevenson’s extraordinary life are narrated with verve, and RLS himself is brought vividly before us, his complexity and charisma conveyed without any note of hagiography (or, conversely, critical debunking).”—Ian Duncan, University of California, Berkeley
“This is a Stevenson biography aimed at readers of Stevenson. RLS sought adventure in his lifetime; his contemporaries were admiring and envious of his bold, restless spirit, and the twenty-first-century reader is no less likely to relish this quest to encounter the elemental forces of a powerful storm, a forty-below cold spell, or a desperate dash across the American continent to find the romantic partner of one’s dreams.”—William Sharpe, author of The Art of Walking: A History in 100 Images
“In this superb and richly atmospheric biography, Damrosch brings all his fine scholarly attention to the strange world of Stevenson’s fictions and poetry, but also revels in his gloriously outspoken letters and his fraught but intensely vivid friendships. This is a large, beautiful, and mature biographic portrait.”—Richard Holmes, author of The Age of Wonder
“Is there a better biographer alive today than Leo Damrosch? His latest, a full-scale biography of Robert Louis Stevenson, is a brilliant storytelling achievement worthy of both its title and the redoubtable subject at its center. Stevenson lived more in his forty-four years than most do in a lifetime.”—Morten Høi Jensen, author of The Master of Contradictions: Thomas Mann and the Making of “The Magic Mountain”
Notă biografică
Leo Damrosch is the Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature Emeritus at Harvard University. His many books include Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius (National Book Award finalist); Adventurer: The Life and Times of Giacomo Casanova; The Club: Johnson, Boswell, and the Friends Who Shaped an Age; and Jonathan Swift: His Life and His World (National Book Critics Circle Award winner, Pulitzer Prize finalist). He lives in Newton, MA.