Anna Pasternak

Last updated
Anna Pasternak
Born1967
NationalityBritish
OccupationWriter
Website www.annapasternak.co.uk

Anna Pasternak (born June 1967) is a British author of books, articles, and spa reviews [1] as well as being a frequent commentator on television and radio.

Contents

Early life

Pasternak was born in 1967. [2] She is the great-granddaughter of Leonid Pasternak, the impressionist painter, and the great-niece of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Boris Pasternak, author of Doctor Zhivago . [3] Her father is the scientist Charles Pasternak and her first cousin once removed is the literary scholar Ann Pasternak Slater (niece of Boris Pasternak). [4] [5]

Career

Pasternak's bestselling book Princess in Love (1994) [6] is a detailed reflection of her interviews with James Hewitt about his affair with Princess Diana. The Independent , said "The work has been widely panned for its breathless Mills and Boon style" and The Los Angeles Times said it "has few quotations and is written in the breathless style of romantic fiction, containing the supposed thoughts and feelings of Princess Diana" and Buckingham Palace called it "grubby and worthless." [7] However, Diana later confirmed the affair [8] and Pasternak was exonerated in the press when suddenly everything she had written was confirmed to be true. [9] In 1996 the book was made into a television film. [10]

Pasternak's 1998 novel, More Than Money Can Buy is about a man with "aspirations for money, power and rich women" working in the international shipping arena. [11]

Beginning in 2004, Pasternak published a relationship column in the Daily Mail titled Daisy Dooley. [12] And in 2007, she published a novel titled Daisy Dooley Does Divorce. Described as being about a "self-help junkie [who] comes to terms with divorce," it features chapters titled "Emotional Contagion" and "Married Singles," [13] The Evening Standard described it as a "laugh out loud romp that you won't be able to put down" and Grazia said "it was a sharp, funny and moving depiction of life after divorce." [14] Kirkus Reviews observed that it was "worth wading through the tears for the generous helping of Daisy Dooley wisdom" [15] though Publishers Weekly called it a "frustrating traipse through divorcedom," concluding that "the reading experience is less than exhilarating." [16]

In 2013, under the name Anna Wallas, Pasternak published a self-help book with her husband titled Call Off The Search. [17]

In 2016, Pasternak published a biography of Boris Pasternak and his mistress, Olga Ivinskaya, titled Lara: The Untold Love Story That Inspired Doctor Zhivago. The book achieved huge critical acclaim and was serialised in American Vogue. [18] The Sunday Times noted it was a "meticulously researched book" [19] NPR said, "With its overview of Russian history in the mid-20th century, including the privations of World War II, the abominations of Stalin's Great Terror, and Khrushchev's insufficient thaw, Lara is a chilling, upsetting reminder of what can happen when free speech is curtailed." [20] While The New York Times said that "the 'untold' in the subtitle simply isn't true" because "the story of Pasternak's affair with Olga has been told repeatedly — for instance, in Olga's own memoirs." It concluded: "In 'Lara,' Anna Pasternak treats 'Doctor Zhivago' as a romance, more or less interchangeable with the hit movie, and she displays minimal understanding of Pasternak's literary achievement." [21]

In 2019, Pasternak issued legal proceedings against American author Lara Prescott, claiming that Prescott's novel The Secrets We Kept features "an astonishing number of substantial elements" taken from Lara. [22] The ruling was mixed with the High Court finding that copyright subsisted in certain selections of events in a non-fictional historical literary work but that there had been no copying by author of a subsequent work of historical fiction. [23] The judge ruled that "It is clear that the defendant did not copy from Lara the selection of events in the relevant chapters of The Secrets We Kept or any part of that selection." [24] Pasternak was ordered to pay back 99% of Prescott's costs, totalling £1M. [25] Shortly thereafter, Pasternak filed for bankruptcy. [26]

In the same year, Pasternak published a book about Wallis Simpson's affair with Edward VIII, titled The American Duchess, the Real Wallis Simpson. [27] Kirkus Reviews wrote that "Pasternak offers a variety of thought-provoking arguments" [28] and The Observer said, "Anna Pasternak's empathetic study of Wallis attempts to redress the balance and emphasises her intelligence, independence and unwillingness to ruin the life of the man she loved. [29] while The Telegraph said, "This Mills & Boon-ish mess might be the worst biography of Wallis Simpson ever written." [30] The Gotham Group closed a rights deal for The American Duchess: The Real Wallis Simpson by New York Times-bestselling author Anna Pasternak in 2020. [31]

In May 2020, Pasternak published an article in The Tatler about Princess Catherine. [32] Kensington Palace threatened legal action, saying that the story "contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication." [33] Tatler's Editor-in-Chief Richard Dennen stood behind the reporting of Anna Pasternak and her sources, however, Tatler agreed to cooperate with the Cambridges' request in order "maintain its long-standing relationship with the palace and removed a paragraph from the article." [34]

Pasternak regularly writes articles about and related to the British Royal family [35] [36] [37] and spa and hotel reviews. [38] [39] [40]

Film and television commentary

Pasternak has also appeared on numerous news programmes and documentaries to share insights about the British Royal family, women's issues and modern relationships. [41] [42] She has occasionally courted controversy with her comments. [43] [44]

In 2021, whilst being interviewed for BBC Breakfast, Pasternak said that,

"anyone like me who is white, privileged and well-educated is not able to say anything without it being viewed as racist" and "we as a white minority nowadays are silenced from being able to speak our truth." [45]

The comments sparked an online backlash. But BBC defended Pasternak following a barrage of complaints about the interview. [46]

In 2021 Pasternak took part in John Sweeney's series on LBS Radio, Hunting Ghislaine. The series was later adatped by Sony-backed Eleventh Hour Films for television. Pasternak appeared in the resulting three-hour Sky Documentaries series about former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, whom Pasternak reportedly knew during their university years. In covering the series, The Guardian referred to Pasternak as the "waffler-in-chief" and called her commentary on Maxwell, a convicted sex offender and human trafficker, "unsearing." [47] The Telegraph observed, "Anna Pasternak, an Oxford contemporary, put forward a theory that seemed to underpin the documentary: if you grow up idolising a crook like Robert Maxwell,, then you have no moral compass. [48]

Personal life

Pasternak is married to her former therapist, Andrew Wallas, a psychotherapist and entrepreneur who calls himself "The Modern-Day Wizard." He has taught "spiritual psychology, intuitive healing and body whispering." [49] [27] [50] They met in a yurt. [51] Pasternak has a daughter named Daisy Pasternak. [52] [53]

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References

  1. ↑ "Anna Pasternak - Writer". Anna Pasternak.
  2. ↑ Golden, Audrey. "Boris Pasternak and the Lost Story of Lara". blog.bookstellyouwhy.com.
  3. ↑ "An evening with Anna Pasternak, non-fiction author". www.kingston.ac.uk.
  4. ↑ Allfree, Claire (5 July 2022). "Charles Pasternak: My family's £2m high court battle for Dr Zhivago's legacy". The Telegraph.
  5. ↑ "Hoover Institution Hosts Book Launch: Boris Pasternak: Family Correspondence, 1921–1960". Hoover Institution.
  6. ↑ "Books". Anna Pasternak. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  7. ↑ "Book Describes Alleged Affair Between Diana, Army Officer". Los Angeles Times . 4 October 1994.
  8. ↑ "The life and times of Princess Diana". Reuters. 23 August 2007.
  9. ↑ Oliveri, Natalie (2022). "Author felt 'manipulated and used' by Princess Diana for exposing James Hewitt affair at her request". honey.nine.com.au.
  10. ↑ "Princess in Love". tv.apple.com. 1996.
  11. ↑ "It's So Last Century - Anna Pasternak". www.itssolastcentury.co.uk.
  12. ↑ "Anna Pasternak Daisy Dooley". 27 June 2017.
  13. ↑ Daisy Dooley Does Divorce. Grand Central. 22 October 2007. ISBN   9780446408479.
  14. ↑ "Daisy Dooley Does Divorce". Annapasternak.co.uk. 2007.
  15. ↑ "Daisy Dooley Does Divorce". kirkusreviews.com. 2007.
  16. ↑ "Daisy Dooley Does Divorce".
  17. ↑ "CALL OFF THE SEARCH". 11 December 2019.
  18. ↑ "From Russia with Love: A Grand Passion". Vogue.com. 2016.
  19. ↑ Llewellyn Smith, Julia (2016). "Lessons in love and defiance from Diana and Doctor Zhivago". thetimes.com.
  20. ↑ McAlpin, Heller (25 January 2017). "In 'Lara,' The True Story Of Pasternak's Muse And Mistress". NPR.
  21. ↑ Pinkham, Sophie (27 January 2017). "Pasternak's Muse: The Real-Life Inspiration for 'Doctor Zhivago'". The New York Times.
  22. ↑ "Lara: The Untold Love Story That Inspired Doctor Zhivago – review". TheGuardian.com . 18 September 2016.
  23. ↑ Alexander, Rachel (2022). "High Court finds that copyright subsisted in certain selections of events in a non-fictional historical literary work but that there had been no copying by author of a subsequent work of historical fiction". wiggin.co.uk.
  24. ↑ "Descendant of Doctor Zhivago author loses copyright court case". The Guardian. Haroon Siddique. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  25. ↑ "Pasternak's Great Niece Ordered To Pay Almost £1M". Law 360. Ronan Barnard. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  26. ↑ "Bankruptcy Orders".
  27. 1 2 "WELCOMING ANDREW WALLAS AND ANNA PASTERNAK WALLAS TO TRANSATLANTIC!". 4 May 2022.
  28. ↑ "The Real Wallis Simpson, a new history of the American Divorcee who became the duchess of Windsor". kirkusreviews.com. 2019.
  29. ↑ Larman, Alexander (2019). "In brief: Untitled: The Real Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor; The King's Evil; Circe – reviews". theguardian.com.
  30. ↑ Heffer, Simon (4 March 2019). "This Mills & Boon-ish mess might be the worst biography of Wallis Simpson ever written". The Telegraph.
  31. ↑ Fleming Jr., Mike (2020). "Gotham Group To Develop Film On Scandalous Socialite Wallis Simpson Based On Anna Pasternak Book 'The American Duchess'". deadline.com.
  32. ↑ Pasternak, Anna (2020-05-25). "HRH The Duchess of Cambridge is crowned Catherine the Great on the July/August cover". Tatler. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  33. ↑ "Tatler Finally Edited Its Controversial Profile of Kate Middleton". The New York Observer . 21 September 2020.
  34. ↑ Kaiser (2020). "Tatler removed one paragraph from their 'Catherine the Great' story, guess what it was". celebitchy.com.
  35. ↑ Pasternak, Anna (2021). "I spoke up for the Queen at Oxford's debate... and was jeered". telegraph.co.uk.
  36. ↑ Pasternak, Anna (2023). "Who Is The Real Camilla, The Reluctant Queen?". graziadaily.co.uk.
  37. ↑ Pasternak, Anna (2022). "Royal rebel: Why it's time to reconsider the enigmatic Princess Margaret". telegraph.co.uk.
  38. ↑ "Turning back time at Preidlhof".
  39. ↑ "Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru Maldives – spa review". 3 December 2019.
  40. ↑ Pasternak, Anna (30 August 2020). "What I learnt from checking in to the 'Immunity Hotel'". The Telegraph.
  41. ↑ "EP75: Edward VIII". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  42. ↑ Andrew Wallas (2020-03-16). Andrew and Anna Wallas Interview on Lorraine TV Show . Retrieved 2024-10-30– via YouTube.
  43. ↑ "The first American divorcée to marry into the British Royal Family is redeemed in a new documentary". 10 January 2020.
  44. ↑ "Meghan and Harry interview an 'exercise in disrespect'". BBC News.
  45. ↑ "Royal biographer uses Meghan Markle interview to whine about 'white minorities being silenced'". 8 March 2021.
  46. ↑ "BBC Breakfast defends author claiming 'white minority' is being 'silenced' in racism discussions after complaints". 17 March 2021.
  47. ↑ "Epstein's Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell review – uncomfortably close to excusing her". TheGuardian.com . 27 June 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27.
  48. ↑ Singh, Anita (2021-06-27). "Ghislaine Maxwell: Epstein's Shadow, review: daddy issues, neglect and high society". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  49. ↑ "The Other Zhivago Affair". 8 June 2017.
  50. ↑ "Off To See The Wizard". 5 June 2014.
  51. ↑ "Anna Pasternak: I met my wizard in a yurt". www.telegraph.co.uk.
  52. ↑ Pasternak, Anna (31 October 2021). "My daughter's made it onto Tatler's list of eligible singletons – I'm not jealous, I'm thrilled". The Telegraph.
  53. ↑ Pasternak, Anna; Pasternak, Daisy (3 May 2020). "Lockdown has proved Mum loves our dogs more than me (as she's happy to admit)". The Telegraph.
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