I gave it 5 stars, though on rereading my review I realize that I did so while only halfway through the book. Hmm. http://livingbyfiction.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/james-tiptree-jr/
I agree with everything you say about the biographer's fails, but I'm sticking to 5 stars if 5 stars means "everyone should read this book." Also, I cut Phillips some slack because knowing Alice is essentially impossible. Between unlocking Alice and unlocking cold fusion, I'd bet on cold fusion first.
For the most part, though, I just ignored Phillips and whatever portrait she was trying to build about "Alli." Phillips didn't bring critical chops, but at least she did bring armfuls of facts and sheafs of letters. I mean, Phillips fails to probe deeply into prostitution and maternal incest, but she deserves credit for bringing up those facts, which not every biographer actually does. Also, I don't expect that she had a lot of facts to work with on either of those topics, in which case I very much prefer a biographer to acknowledge the lack of data rather than to warble speculatively. If I had access to the primary source, it'd be swan dives and pirouettes, but this book is the next best thing.
Is the glass half full or half empty? In the past 5 years, my only benchmark for biographies is England's Mistress, a well-reviewed bio of Emma Hamilton. As Emma bounces from bed to aristocratic bed in a determined attempt to stay out of the brothel, the biographer repeatedly writes "yet Emma seemed to genuinely love [sex sponsor]: in her letters to him, she wrote [flowery expression of eternal devotion]." Now there's a biographer whose brain is made of apples.
In conclusion, if I had my druthers, I'd have a Tiptree bio by Joanna Russ, but if we are good, perhaps we'll be rewarded with three volumes of collected letters.
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momijizukamori and
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Date: 2011-06-07 05:55 am (UTC)I agree with everything you say about the biographer's fails, but I'm sticking to 5 stars if 5 stars means "everyone should read this book." Also, I cut Phillips some slack because knowing Alice is essentially impossible. Between unlocking Alice and unlocking cold fusion, I'd bet on cold fusion first.
For the most part, though, I just ignored Phillips and whatever portrait she was trying to build about "Alli." Phillips didn't bring critical chops, but at least she did bring armfuls of facts and sheafs of letters. I mean, Phillips fails to probe deeply into prostitution and maternal incest, but she deserves credit for bringing up those facts, which not every biographer actually does. Also, I don't expect that she had a lot of facts to work with on either of those topics, in which case I very much prefer a biographer to acknowledge the lack of data rather than to warble speculatively. If I had access to the primary source, it'd be swan dives and pirouettes, but this book is the next best thing.
Is the glass half full or half empty? In the past 5 years, my only benchmark for biographies is England's Mistress, a well-reviewed bio of Emma Hamilton. As Emma bounces from bed to aristocratic bed in a determined attempt to stay out of the brothel, the biographer repeatedly writes "yet Emma seemed to genuinely love [sex sponsor]: in her letters to him, she wrote [flowery expression of eternal devotion]." Now there's a biographer whose brain is made of apples.
In conclusion, if I had my druthers, I'd have a Tiptree bio by Joanna Russ, but if we are good, perhaps we'll be rewarded with three volumes of collected letters.