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The Invention of Jane Harrison (Revealing Antiquity)
The Invention of Jane Harrison - Revealing Antiquity Author:Mary Beard Jane Ellen Harrison (1850–1928) is the most famous female classicist in history, the author of books that revolutionized our understanding of Greek culture and religion. This lively and innovative portrayal of a fascinating woman raises the question of who wins (and how) in the competition for academic fame. Questioning the com... more »mon criteria for identifying intellectual "influence" and "movements," Beard exposes the mythology that is embedded in the history of classical scholarship. At the same time she provides a vivid picture of a sparkling intellectual scene. "Mary Beard's compulsively readable and effervescently brilliant biography of Jane Harrison is … 100-per-cent-proof pleasure, pure biographical ouzo … Beard has produced a biography which is happy to show its workings." —Elizabeth Loury, Times Literary Supplement "[A] provocative biography … Among the many questions which Mary Beard asks is why Harrison was singled out for celebrity … [Beard] has filled a gap, and in vivacious style." —The Economist« less