Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius

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In this joyous and illuminating book, the million-copy bestselling author brings together an unlikely pairing to explore the story of their creative genius What could possibly connect Prince, the great twentieth century singer songwriter, and Charles Dickens, the great writer of classics usually stuffed into the hands of adolescents too early What could these two geniuses, one born in 1812 in England, and the other in 1950s Minneapolis, have in common For Nick Hornby, Dickens and Prince are two artists that compare to no others. At the young age of 24, they both had their breakthroughs, Prince with '1999' and Dickens with The Pickwick Papers. At 26, Prince released 'Purple Rain' and Dickens' Oliver Twist was published, and, by 30, both artists were huge stars. No one else had such a relentless work ethic and produced such a staggeringly original and enormous body of work. Where did their magic come from How did they use it And, in the end, did it kill them Tracing their lives, from the early years to their relationships with women, their finances to their inability to stop working, Dickens and Prince is a brilliantly surprising and joyous uncovering of the essence of a very particular and unique type of genius.

Reviews

Well, here's something you didn't expect - a joint biography of Charles Dickens and the pocket-sized popster Prince. And why not The Fever Pitch chappie explores the nature of genius and what unites the inimitable Boz and the Imp of the Perverse * The Times, Best Books for Autumn *
I love this. It's smart and funny and elegantly persuasive -- Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, author of Becoming Dickens
From rocky beginnings to too-early endings, Hornby traces the lives of two very different artists and shows they have more in common than we might think. Dickens & Prince is a playful, illuminating book * The i, 40 best books to read this Autumn *
An enjoyable and educational read that will leave fans of either figure positively enlightened * The Independent *
A fascinating little book * Irish Times *
A winningly grounded manifesto for artists * The Sunday Times *

Author Bio

NICK HORNBY is the bestselling author of eight novels, including Just Like You, High Fidelity and About a Boy, and several works of nonfiction including Fever Pitch. He has also written numerous award-winning screenplays for film and television including Brooklyn, Wild and, most recently, State of the Union.