Boy, I wish that I could be less wishy-washy when it comes to deciding how I feel about “Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography” (Harper, October 2007).
I mean, when I originally read David Michaelis’s 672-page opus, I have to admit that I enjoyed the hell out of this hardcover. All of the great insights that this book provided about Charles M. Schulz, the deepily unhappy man who created those extremely lovable comic strip characters — Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy and Peppermint Patty — made it an immensely entertaining & informative read.
And given the seven years that Michaelis spent pulling together “Schulz and Peanuts,” all the interviews that David did with Charles’ friends & family, the months he spent burrowing through Schulz’s personal papers at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center … Well, all that research gave this reader reason to believe that this book was everything that it appeared to be. The first full-length, in-depth biography of “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz. A thoroughily researched, carefully-thought-out book.
Copyright 2007 Harper. All Rights Reserved
But then came the stories that the Schulz family was unhappy by this biography. That they felt that David had painted Charles as being far too cold & unfeeling, when the father that they remembered was warm and supportive. Schulz’s son, Monte, even went so far as to list many of the factual errors that he said David had made while writing “Schulz and Peanuts.”
Does any of this sound familiar to you Disneyana fans out there? It should. How many of you remember what happened back in August, when Diane Disney Miller came out against “Walt Disney : The Triumph of the American Imagination” ? Calling Neal Gabler’s ambitious biography ” … a monstrous piece of libelous junk”?
Mind you, Diane wasn’t this book’s only critic. Among the most vocal was animation historian Michael Barrier. Who — even as he was out doing promotion for his own Disney biography, “The Animated Man : A Life of Walt Disney” — Michael was compiling a list of the errors that Neal made while writing “Walt Disney : The Triumph of the American Imagination.”
Copyright 2007 University of California Press.
All Rights Reserved
Given these comments, you’d think that I’d instantly be dismissive of these biographies. But here’s the thing : “Schulz and Peanuts” — just like “Walt Disney : The Triumph of the American Imagination” — is a very ambitious book. And given that it gets so many of the big things right (i.e. What drove Schulz as an artist. How his personal life provided fodder for the strip), it’s tempting to overlook the little things that Michaelis and Gabler got wrong.
Now please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m finding fault with Monte Schulz or Diane Disney Miller for attempting to defend their parents. For speaking out against a book that they feel puts their father (And — in the case of “Walt Disney : The Triumph of the American Imagination” — Diane’s mother) in a very bad light. To be honest, I find their behavior to be quite admirable and understandable.
But that said … I wonder if it’s really possible for any child to accept a warts-and-all portrayal of their parents. To not see their mother or father through the loving eyes of a family member, where most mis-steps are overlooked and every faux-pas forgiven. But — rather — through the cold, indifferent eyes of an outsider. Where all actions are stripped bare of their unlying emotion & motive.
Copyright 2007 Vintage. All Rights Reserved
Biographies that are written in this style — even though they may actually be even-handed & honest — don’t always paint the most flattering portraits of their subjects. Which is why I’m thinking that the Disney family & the Schulz family have been so vocal about their dislike of “Walt Disney : The Triumph of the American Imagination” and “Schulz and Peanuts : A Biography.” Because it genuinely upsets them to see their parents portrayed in this manner.
And while I’d like to pretend that Diane & Monte’s complaints (coupled with Michael Barrier’s list of errors for the Gabler book) haven’t colored the way I now perceive “Walt Disney : The Triumph of the American Imagination” and “Schulz and Peanuts : A Biography” … That’s really not the case. After reading through all of the Disney & Schulz children’s comments, I can’t help but think now … Did I get it wrong? Were these biographies actually not as good as I originally thought they were?
What do you folks think? Is it wise to factor in family members’ complaints as you try & form a definitive opinion about a new biography? More importantly, is it unrealistic to expect a son or daughter to remain open-minded as they read through the bio of their Mom or Pop?
Your thoughts?