Book reviews

A Book of One's Own: People and Their Diaries
Thomas Mallon Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Thomas Mallon Books
New book search
Thomas Mallon Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of A Book of One's Own: People and Their Diaries
"Mallon writes engagingly about the diaries of hundreds of people, well known and obscure -- the reasons they wrote, what they wrote, what they made of themselves and their times. His judgments are honest but fair: Anais Nin's diaries had "an off-putting Delphic pride," with "what seems a biological inability to refrain from recording expressions of praise that have been directed to her by others." Stendhal "knows what a magnificent cad he is," and his diaries are "so great that by their end one would rather be him than read him.""
David Loftus, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of A Book of One's Own: People and Their Diaries
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - upbeat
Life of a profession: - writer
Other aspects: - story of "the rich"
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
Woman's story? Yes

Main Character
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK - France - Italy - Germany

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Unusual Style: - No single main character?
Amount of dialog - little dialog
Most similar books to A Book of One's Own: People and Their Diaries
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
When Sisterhood Was in Flower by Florence King
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Kiss & Tell by Alain de Botton


Click here for more information about this book




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Literature books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story

Crime & Police story

Ethnic/regional/gender life

Exploring into the wild

Family, caring for ill

Family, loving relations

Family, struggle with

Internal struggle/realization?

Job/Profession/Status story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Political/social activism

Poverty, surviving

Pregnancy/Child rearing

Religion theme?

Romance/Romance Problems

Sports Story?

War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani



Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer 12:17:36 PM
Michael Gerber 9:39:20 AM
Terry Goodkind 7:22:26 AM
Isobelle Carmody 5:19:11 AM
Norah Lofts 12:26:00 AM
Diana Gabaldon 10:32:23 PM
Ivan Cat 9:23:05 PM
Scott Westerfield 9:20:54 PM
General Discussion (All Topics) 7:10:00 PM
Jude Deveraux 5:56:12 PM
George W. Bush 4:34:34 PM
Ray Bradbury 4:27:50 PM
Karen Armstrong 2:13:10 PM
Karen Armstrong 12:58:19 PM
Lana Wood 6:06:13 AM
Lynn and Gilbert Morris 12:20:20 AM
David Pelzer 10:32:56 PM
Max Shulman 8:44:04 PM
Kate Brian 5:25:02 PM
Ruth Minsky Sender 3:34:26 PM

More message boards