Today's children have very short attention spans because they are being reared on dreadful television programmes which are flickering away in the corner. Claire Tomalin attentionchildcorner Change image and share on social
Historians will handle a much wider range of sources than a biographer and will be covering a broader spectrum of events, time, peoples. Claire Tomalin biographerbroadcover Change image and share on social
When you live with Dickens for years, reading him and trying to present him as faithfully as you can, you can't fail to love the man - so the shock of his bad behaviour is considerable, even when you know it is coming. Claire Tomalin badbehaviourcome share on social
Writers often feel obliged to adopt some sort of public appearance. Claire Tomalin adoptappearancefeel Change image and share on social
People who attack biography choose as their models vulgar and offensive biography. You could equally attack novels or poems by choosing bad poems or novels. Claire Tomalin attackbadbiography Change image and share on social
One of my most vivid memories of the mid-1950s is of crying into a washbasin full of soapy grey baby clothes - there were no washing machines - while my handsome and adored husband was off playing football in the park on Sunday morning with all the delightful young men who had been friends to both of us at Cambridge three years earlier. Claire Tomalin 1950sadorebaby share on social
I had forgotten until I looked up old notes that I sold the film rights of my first book, a life of Mary Wollstonecraft: there was a lunch, a contract, a small sum of money, then nothing. Claire Tomalin bookcontractfilm Change image and share on social
After Shakespeare, Dickens is the great creator of characters, multiple characters. Claire Tomalin charactercreatordicken Change image and share on social
You become more tolerant when you become older. You're not interested in rapping people over the knuckles; you're interested in understanding them. Claire Tomalin interestknuckleold Change image and share on social
Writing Charles Dickens' biography is like writing five biographies. Claire Tomalin biographycharledicken Change image and share on social