Why did Durant write "Transition" as a "novel" when it was so obviously an autobiography, even before this was 'revealed' in the preface to the later edition?
One explanation I'd read was that he didn't want to expose certain people as anarchists; but I find this hard to believe, since a) it had to be obvious to all concerned that this was an autobiography, and b) if he changed people's names, it was only by a tiny bit!
It's just a little odd, hearing him talk about "John Lemaire" and "Jack" as if he is some made-up character.
He notes in the preface that the chapter where he gets blown up is a concoction ... why then did he include it in the first place? Did it serve a purpose, that a true account couldn't have done? I wonder if he thought that it wouldn't have been interesting enough without it.
I haven't read through much of the "Dual Autobiography" yet so I don't know if it's answered in there ... the only part I did read suggested that Mrs. Durant began using the name "Ariel" because Will had called her that in "Transition." Is that true?
He does use his daughter's real name in the book ... if he didn't want people to know it was an autobiography, he certainly wouldn't have done that, right?
I'm confused. Maybe there's a perfectly reasonable explanation?
