] I had always refused to buy Park Honan's book because of the title, which I found very Lady C, as in "The Definitive Portrait...." There are other extremely good works, and none of them claim to be the definitive work ;)

LOL! Yes the title is very Lady C. But I think you should try reading it, especially since you own it. Like you I received this book as a gift. I agree with Leif G-N, that Honan's habit of piecing together small details to make a realistic picture is irritating because it inadequately distinguishes between fact and conjecture. However, I also agree with Leif that sometimes the pictures Honan creates with his rather irritating technique can be illuminating.

I'd be interested to hear which of the many other biographies out there Pemberlerians recommend. Tomalin has been referenced a lot here, but she seems to be controversial too.