July 1, 2006

Book 20: The Autobiography and Other Writings

The Autobiography and Other Writings
Benjamin Franklin

So I'm a little behind in my reading, having hoped to be halfway through (at 26 books) by this point. It is through no fault of Franklin, however, whose autobiography I began reading at the conclusion of my last book. I will concede, however, that the style of Franklin's writing is somewhat difficult to adjust to, both because of grammar peculiar to the modern eye and because reading Franklin's thoughts about his life is just like sitting there listening to the man. The whole thing is basically an old man rambling on about his life in mostly chronological order.

The thing is, though, that the order of events make sense as each segues into the other very simply as the memories come pouring out of Franklin's pen. There are only a couple instances where the autobiography itself seems disjointed, but this usually occurs after a tangent which has been quite interesting and at least relevant to the material at hand. Throughout the work the author is very conscious that he is painting his legacy for future generations; the entire script is full of helpful maxims and takes on the voice of a teacher eager to pass his infinite wisdom onto his pupils. What makes this tone especially entertaining is Franklin's self-conscious attempts at modesty, which usually fail in the context of his great accomplishments.

Franklin was an everyman of his period: scientist, inventor, public servant, and philosopher for all times. One can excuse his slight pride, especially because he tries so hard to hide it despite himself. His writings, some of which appear as the second half of my copy of the autobiography, are far less awkward in this respect, most often being letters deliberately constructed for the recipients. Franklin cuts right to the chase and gives the reader a good idea of the kind of person he was, and how he felt about the issues at hand. I was surprised to find that Franklin was less consistent than I had imagined, though he acknowledges his fallibilty with grace in most instances. The one exception is the way he treats his wife in her dying days, when he suddenly becomes callous and coarse. This, however, humanizes Franklin and reminds readers that he was not perfect, that he did, indeed, live like any other person.

I would recommend Franklin's autobiography (taken with a grain of salt, of course) to anyone looking for a basic history of the man, as most of his major accomplishments are outlined within. I think that the editor of the volume I read made a good decision in including other writings of the man, and I would highly encourage those seeking a more complete picture of Benjamin Franklin to attempt to read more than just the autobiography.

Grade: A

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