RUMER GODDEN

Although Godden spent much of her life in exotic climes and has proven to be one of the few truly successful “crossover” writers, this sprawling biography will neither draw nor hold the attention of readers. Chisholm pads a narrative already filled with eye-glazing details of decades of comings and goings, minor meetings, and social events by taking side excursions to describe the making of films and other tangential episodes; she pays scant attention to Godden’s children’s books, and never considers how or why the author wrote for that audience. Published in England in 1998, this doesn’t cover Godden’s last months (she died near the end of the year). It’s a mountain of undigested information, richer in itinerary than insight. (b&w photos, index) (Biography. 14+)