Anita Brookner by Hermione Lee review
A tireless account shines a light on the Booker-winning author’s mysterious early years and the undeserved criticism that accompanied with her success
TL;DR
- Anita Brookner's public image as a lonely woman is challenged by Hermione Lee's biography, which aims to correct misconceptions about the author.
- Brookner's fiction, spanning 24 novels, engaged broadly with themes of family, exile, trauma, and aging, not just romantic longing.
- Despite a challenging early life marked by familial caregiving and a desire for privacy, Brookner established a successful career as an art critic and lecturer.
- The biography details Brookner's literary process, her unexpected pivot to fiction after a personal crisis, and her rapid novel-writing pace.
- Brookner faced significant critical disdain and misogyny throughout her career, with her Booker Prize win met with backlash.
- The book highlights Brookner's personal relationships and friendships, contradicting the image of isolation.
- Lee's biography is described as astute and tireless, succeeding in bringing Brookner's work and complex personality to light.