Plot Summary

Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Biography

Margaret Forster
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Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Biography

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1988

Book Brief

Margaret Forster

Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Biography

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1988
Book Details
Pages

400

Format

Biography • Nonfiction

Setting

England • 19th Century

Publication Year

1988

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Biography by Margaret Forster is a detailed account of the life of English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Forster utilizes newly discovered historical artifacts to challenge popular myths about Barrett Browning’s health and relationship with her father, presenting her as an intellectually vibrant but fiercely private individual who chose her solitude. The biography examines her early life, her relationship with Robert Browning, and her later years in Italy, highlighting personal struggles, including multiple miscarriages and her treatment of her female servants. Topics include mistreatment of domestic workers and reproductive health challenges.

Informative

Contemplative

Melancholic

Inspirational

Emotional

Reviews & Readership

4.2

310 ratings

82%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Margaret Forster's Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Biography is lauded for its meticulous research and captivating portrayal of Browning's life. However, some critics note a lack of in-depth literary analysis. Overall, it offers a rich and engaging look at the poet, marred slightly by its less comprehensive examination of her work.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Biography?

Readers who appreciate deep dives into literary lives, like those captivated by Hermione Lee’s Virginia Woolf or Claire Tomalin’s Jane Austen: A Life, will relish Margaret Forster’s thorough exploration of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Ideal for fans of detailed, context-rich biographies centered on classic poets and their worlds.

4.2

310 ratings

82%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

400

Format

Biography • Nonfiction

Setting

England • 19th Century

Publication Year

1988

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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