Beginning with a discussion of the peculiarities of biographical work, this article systematizes the field of Biography Studies by distinguishing several approaches, and then focuses on biographies as narratives. Although textual and other biographical narratives are unmistakably mediated constructions, the contents presented are often received as ‘truth’. Which textual strategies do biographies use to evoke this mode of reception, and how do they try to realize it? Finally, the article addresses the unique position of the biography between text and life, as well as their complex interactions.
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