I'd give the book 3 1/2 stars if that were an option. Anyone interested or even curious about Lou Salome would have to read the book. And her life makes such an intriguing story that even the occasional lapses in prose don't significantly mar the book. It lacks the scholarly rigor of "Frau Lou," but then it's much more readable and a better introduction to the woman's life and work. Chapter 17 alone is worth the whole book, though all the preceding chapters are useful in setting up the first chapter in the climactic years of the hero's life. There are several of her books I'd like to read, but they are either not available or not easy to get in English or French and I don't read German.
The content in this book is very interesting, especially the menage-a-trois between Lou Andreas-Salome, Paul Ree, and Friedrich Nietzche (who is perhaps the cringiest suitor to ever live?) However, I am not a huge fan of the way the information is sometimes presented. On occasion, the author inserts his own opinions or speculations, which takes me out of the story.
Lou story is indeed very interesting and worth the reading. As a biography it is written OK, not more. Still it is recommended to get to know this amazing woman that was ahead of hes time. Also worth reading if you have an interest of Nietzsche or Rilke.
I’m sad I finished this! It’s been hard to get books about Lou Salome so I buy them up when I do see them. This out-of-print book was a gem of a find - I learned so much about her relationships with Nietzsche and Freud in particular. I think she’s just brilliant!
Very easy to read an informative. A quick overview of an extraordinary life. Writer was a bit too star struck imho but it made for a rolling narrative.
A great window into Lou Andreas Salomé's life. Made me want to know more, and read other now publishef biographies of her as it sometimes feels that the author is a bit biased or rather prudish.
Surprisingly, I found this book while browsing through the "new" Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris (not the famous one founded by Sylvia Beach). I did not even know that an English-language bio of Lou Andreas-Salome even existed. The book looks like it was self-published in1963, since it does not have a publisher listed.
Overall, the bio is straightforward and quite linear, following Andreas-Salome's life; from childhood to death. And it is a remarkable life; Andreas-Salome lived in an extra-ordinary time when thinkers and artists engaged in a free-exchange of conversations and passions. One could feel very envious of a woman who cavorted with Nietzsche, Rilke, and Freud- to name the illustrious- as well and other doctors, writers, and philosophers. Even her husband, whom she was married until his death, but according to the biography, did not physically consummate her marriage, was an intriguing and brilliant character.
Although Andreas-Salome wrote a lot and wrote many letters; her writings do not reveal some of the events in her life. We can get a glimpse of her inner- dialogue, but it is subjective. Peters does take this into account, and he may not be as critical of her actions and consequences as one would like; nevertheless, he does try to present a coherent picture of her