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Grand-père
"Mon père me tient par la main. Sans un mot, il s'avance vers le portail qui défend la maison de mon grand-père. Mon frère, Pablito, nous suit à quelques pas. J'ai six ans, Pablito pas tout à fait huit. Mon père sonne. J'ai peur comme à chaque fois. Le gardien de La Californie apparaît : "Monsieur Paul, vous aviez rendez-vous ? - Oui", bredouille mon père. Il a lâché ma main pour que je ne sente pas à quel point la sienne est devenue moite. "Je vais voir si le maître peut vous recevoir." Le portail se referme. Il pleut, mais nous devons attendre le bon plaisir du maître..."Grand-père, c'est l'histoire de Picasso, le plus grand génie du siècle vu à travers les yeux d'une enfant, Marina, sa petite-fille. En 1973, à la mort du peintre, elle a vingt-deux ans. Pendant trente ans elle se tait. Il lui aura fallu toutes ces années pour mettre des mots sur sa souffrance, pour caresser avec une émotion infinie et pleine de pudeur cette cicatrice. De la manière la plus intime, la plus terrible, Marina Picasso écrit jusqu'au-delà de la douleur, là où se trouve aujourd'hui sa liberté : ses enfants et ceux du bout du monde.
224 pages, Paperback
Published October 3, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
May 14, 2010
I could hardly stand reading this book. I've never had so much difficulty with an "easy read". Marina is so self absorbed and bitter and overly dramatic it's disgusting. For one this book has been wrongfully titled "Picasso my Grandfather" when it has more to do with her upbringing than him. He is sprinkled throughout the book, but a far cry from the center piece of the story. I think she only named the book after him to sell more copies. She knew his name would sell far better than her own name. Sad.
I had too many issues with this book to name, but to name a few...
1. She talks in such detail that I know a portion has to be fabricated because you wouldn't remember each detail as vividly as she claims to. Sure some memories are vivid, but when you read it you'll understand what I'm saying.
2. She's painfully over dramatic, some sentences just made me want to barf they were so overly dramatic.
3. She seems more jealous of her grandfather's fame than anything. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the real reason she has resentment. She also seems to fill in things unnecessarily just to make him seem even more mean than I'm sure he really was. For instance, in one part of the book they are at a bull fight and she mentions that her grandfather looks over at her but then turns away without saying a word because "he is disgusted by her presence". I found that particular passage absurd, what if he was just enjoying her presence, speechless, but enjoyed looking over at her? This lady is insane. If her grandfather was as horrible as she wants to make him seem she should have enough concrete examples of his behavior and not have to use made up ones.
4. Her mother was a horrible mom and I think it's weird that she so easily overlooks her mom's inability to be a proper mother (when her mom has true responsibility for her) but doesn't give her grandpa a break when her grandpa in fact has no real responsibility for her. Sure they were tight on cash but there were ways in which her mom was a horrible mom that were not money related. The way her mom neglected them, chose to drink with men and have Marina and her brother take care of her when she was hungover. Pathetic.
5. So Marina spends a good portion of this book talking about how her grandfather never does anything nice for them but then on page 97 when she gets sick and has to be sent away, Picasso pays not only for her relocation for treatment but pays to have Pablito be able to go with her as well. But she says his generosity was only to make himself look good, and make himself look like an ideal grandfather and he only did it for appearance sake. My God what does this woman want? When he shows love and does something out of kindness she bashes him for it and ridicules him for doing something nice!! I guess I'm glad Picasso didn't do more than he did, she's clearly ungrateful!
6. I also don't understand why she currently lives in a home of Picasso's that she inherited. You'd think it'd be too painful to reside in one of his residences since he was such a horrible person. No doubt she could sell it and make a considerable amount of money seeing as it was one a Picasso property. Clearly he wasn't too bad of a person if she can live amongst his things.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. This book was horrible.
I had too many issues with this book to name, but to name a few...
1. She talks in such detail that I know a portion has to be fabricated because you wouldn't remember each detail as vividly as she claims to. Sure some memories are vivid, but when you read it you'll understand what I'm saying.
2. She's painfully over dramatic, some sentences just made me want to barf they were so overly dramatic.
3. She seems more jealous of her grandfather's fame than anything. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the real reason she has resentment. She also seems to fill in things unnecessarily just to make him seem even more mean than I'm sure he really was. For instance, in one part of the book they are at a bull fight and she mentions that her grandfather looks over at her but then turns away without saying a word because "he is disgusted by her presence". I found that particular passage absurd, what if he was just enjoying her presence, speechless, but enjoyed looking over at her? This lady is insane. If her grandfather was as horrible as she wants to make him seem she should have enough concrete examples of his behavior and not have to use made up ones.
4. Her mother was a horrible mom and I think it's weird that she so easily overlooks her mom's inability to be a proper mother (when her mom has true responsibility for her) but doesn't give her grandpa a break when her grandpa in fact has no real responsibility for her. Sure they were tight on cash but there were ways in which her mom was a horrible mom that were not money related. The way her mom neglected them, chose to drink with men and have Marina and her brother take care of her when she was hungover. Pathetic.
5. So Marina spends a good portion of this book talking about how her grandfather never does anything nice for them but then on page 97 when she gets sick and has to be sent away, Picasso pays not only for her relocation for treatment but pays to have Pablito be able to go with her as well. But she says his generosity was only to make himself look good, and make himself look like an ideal grandfather and he only did it for appearance sake. My God what does this woman want? When he shows love and does something out of kindness she bashes him for it and ridicules him for doing something nice!! I guess I'm glad Picasso didn't do more than he did, she's clearly ungrateful!
6. I also don't understand why she currently lives in a home of Picasso's that she inherited. You'd think it'd be too painful to reside in one of his residences since he was such a horrible person. No doubt she could sell it and make a considerable amount of money seeing as it was one a Picasso property. Clearly he wasn't too bad of a person if she can live amongst his things.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. This book was horrible.
July 30, 2018
On late June I went to Barcelona and visited the Picasso museum. It was not too big and hosted a considerable amount of paintings by Picasso when he was younger and later on as he was emerging as a famous painter. In the giftshop I saw this book, and was immediately intrigued. Not much was told about Picasso's own personality and his attitude around his family in the museum itself. And like a lot of other museum and art enthusiast, I've always wanted to know more about the person behind a famous painting.
This memoir is written by Marina Picasso, Pablo's granddaughter. It started with a vivid memory she had of her father, her brother and herself standing before the great Picasso mansion and waiting for the master Picasso to let them in. But then her father was rejected because they said Picasso was busy. Her father went home sadly, because that means he won't get any money from his father for now.
Then the story continues with Marina's recollections of her life, focusing slightly on her grandfather but more about her day to day life of living with her single mother who constantly gets drunk and never took care of her and her brother, and of living as Picasso's grandfather where the whole world knows his name. It was definitely a tough childhood, with her grandfather overshadowing her father and making him act unimportant and not independent, and also how few she actually sees or actually has human interactions with her famous grandfather.
The stories she told once she grew older became more interesting, as she starts to mature and realize the damage Picasso had on her family. She then continues to tell us about how Picasso's death also continues to damage her family members individually, including herself.
What we all need to pay attention to, of course is that this is a memoir written by one person and is written from the point of view of her and only herself. In this book I was horrified to find out how much Picasso's family members adored him and glorified him but also in the end was actually treated horribly and suffered so much mental damage from him. Marina's view of her grandfather was nothing more than hatred and dislike, and every sentence she writes about him showed these feelings she had on him. Indeed this is only written from one perspective. We probably would have a different tone when the writer of the memoir is a biographer, or his wife, or his father. But in this particular book, Picasso was the devil.
However Pablo Picasso and his egotistical, money-centered mind aside, this book was quite insightful. Not just onto the life of a Picasso, but also to Marina's life. Her independence and hard work as an adult really showed her determination to "not just become Picasso's granddaughter", and I'm glad she emerged a strong wonderful, loving woman. Overall the stories she wrote in this memoir was very intriguing and fun to read, though sometimes quite painful. The writing style itself was very simple and never confusing, probably also because this was translated from the French.
Even so, this 100 or so paged book brought me a lot of insight into a famous, idolized person's life, and showed that even though someone is talented, rich, or famous, does not mean that person is a good person. Family should be the most important thing, and that really shows in Marina's experiences in this book.
This memoir is written by Marina Picasso, Pablo's granddaughter. It started with a vivid memory she had of her father, her brother and herself standing before the great Picasso mansion and waiting for the master Picasso to let them in. But then her father was rejected because they said Picasso was busy. Her father went home sadly, because that means he won't get any money from his father for now.
Then the story continues with Marina's recollections of her life, focusing slightly on her grandfather but more about her day to day life of living with her single mother who constantly gets drunk and never took care of her and her brother, and of living as Picasso's grandfather where the whole world knows his name. It was definitely a tough childhood, with her grandfather overshadowing her father and making him act unimportant and not independent, and also how few she actually sees or actually has human interactions with her famous grandfather.
The stories she told once she grew older became more interesting, as she starts to mature and realize the damage Picasso had on her family. She then continues to tell us about how Picasso's death also continues to damage her family members individually, including herself.
What we all need to pay attention to, of course is that this is a memoir written by one person and is written from the point of view of her and only herself. In this book I was horrified to find out how much Picasso's family members adored him and glorified him but also in the end was actually treated horribly and suffered so much mental damage from him. Marina's view of her grandfather was nothing more than hatred and dislike, and every sentence she writes about him showed these feelings she had on him. Indeed this is only written from one perspective. We probably would have a different tone when the writer of the memoir is a biographer, or his wife, or his father. But in this particular book, Picasso was the devil.
However Pablo Picasso and his egotistical, money-centered mind aside, this book was quite insightful. Not just onto the life of a Picasso, but also to Marina's life. Her independence and hard work as an adult really showed her determination to "not just become Picasso's granddaughter", and I'm glad she emerged a strong wonderful, loving woman. Overall the stories she wrote in this memoir was very intriguing and fun to read, though sometimes quite painful. The writing style itself was very simple and never confusing, probably also because this was translated from the French.
Even so, this 100 or so paged book brought me a lot of insight into a famous, idolized person's life, and showed that even though someone is talented, rich, or famous, does not mean that person is a good person. Family should be the most important thing, and that really shows in Marina's experiences in this book.
October 30, 2014
Wow! It was quite astonishing to read about Picasso through the eyes of his grand-daughter.
Marina Picasso recalled her earlier life in her and her family members' yearning for the attention and love from her grandfather, Pablo Picasso.
Behind the genius' creativity, what a chaotic, dis-functionally family. After finished reading this book, I was surprised to read so many negative comments and resentment towards Marina from book reviews. As fas as I'm concerned, this is Her book. This is Marina telling Her side of the stories. It is a personally account. People can have their own opinion and versions, but people shouldn't judge or challenge her. None of us were in her shoes, and based on her account, I wouldn't want to be in her shoes at all!
I wish her peace and happiness with her children, and may she find reconciliation in her heart and mind with her grandfather and the Picasso family.
Marina Picasso recalled her earlier life in her and her family members' yearning for the attention and love from her grandfather, Pablo Picasso.
Behind the genius' creativity, what a chaotic, dis-functionally family. After finished reading this book, I was surprised to read so many negative comments and resentment towards Marina from book reviews. As fas as I'm concerned, this is Her book. This is Marina telling Her side of the stories. It is a personally account. People can have their own opinion and versions, but people shouldn't judge or challenge her. None of us were in her shoes, and based on her account, I wouldn't want to be in her shoes at all!
I wish her peace and happiness with her children, and may she find reconciliation in her heart and mind with her grandfather and the Picasso family.
November 21, 2010
This was a very quick, easy read. I gave it two stars not because it wasn't interesting but because I really couldn't stand the author. The book is basically Marina Picasso complaining about her life. She blames all of her family's problems on her grandfather Picasso. Today she lives in the villa she inherited from him and lives off of money from the inheritance, so it's pretty crappy that she uses her free time to write a book about what a terrible person he is. I'm mad at myself for buying the book and letting her make more money off of her grandfather's name.
May 30, 2017
After having recently gone to see an exhibit of Picasso's work and marveled at his dedication to his art, reading his Marina's account gave me a fuller picture of what it could mean to be "dedicated." I felt very sorry for the collateral damage that this dedication seemed to have on his family, though was happy to hear that Marina was eventually able to find her own path out.
February 27, 2011
For some reason, I felt that the author was complaining needlessly. Whining.
March 15, 2018
Mở đầu cuốn sách là 1 câu nói và 1 lời đề tặng. 1 của Picasso, 1 của tác giả, cháu gái Picasso, Marina Picasso.
Muốn tạo ra một con bồ câu, phải vặn cổ nó trước đã. (Pablo Picasso)
Cho các con tôi, Dimitri, Hore, Horian, Gael, May với tất cả lòng thương yêu. (Marina Picasso)
2 câu nói như vậy đã mở đầu cho một cuốn sách nhỏ, chỉ vỏn vẹn hơn 200 trang. Nhưng bấy nhiêu đó thôi đã đủ khiến cho mình phát điên. Thực sự là thế.
Nếu bạn có một gia đình êm ấm, một chỗ dựa vững chãi, bạn hãy đọc cuốn này, để thấy rằng yêu thương là cần thiết biết bao. Và nếu bạn có một gia đình, thừa mứa vật chất, thiếu thốn tình yêu thương, và không tìm được hạnh phúc, hãy đọc cuốn sách nhỏ này, để thấy mình trong đó. Đùa thôi, quyển sách này không phải là thứ công cụ vạn năng giúp bạn vượt qua tất cả, nó chứa đựng nỗi căm hờn nhiều hơn là yêu thương, với giọng văn đầy lạnh lùng, xâu xé người đọc của tác giả, Picasso Ông tôi sẽ đưa bạn về với thế giới thực, ở đó, yêu thương con người không bao giờ đủ.
Cuốn sách được viết bởi một người sinh ra trong nỗi đau. Một nỗi đau mà có lẽ Kafka cũng đã từng trải qua. Là cháu gái của Picasso! Sống dưới cái bóng của một thiên tài đã là điều không dễ, sống dưới cái bóng của một người ích kỉ, đó lại là nỗi đau. Picasso, danh họa trứ danh một thời (và cả về sau) mang trong mình mọi thứ: tiền tài, danh vọng, và kể cả sự ngưỡng mộ của những người con. Ấy thế mà ông lại hờ hững với tất cả, kể cả là gia đình, mọi thứ chỉ là thứ yếu, là thứ hiển nhiên có và chỉ để phục vụ cho đam mê nghệ thuật của ông. Cháu ông, Marina, lại không có điều đó. Cô chỉ có cái tên của dòng họ Picasso và nỗi đau. Không có tiền và tình yêu thương.
Nghịch lí đó tồn tại xuyên suốt cả câu chuyện. Một câu chuyện buồn của cả một dòng họ.
Đó không hẳn đã là tận cùng của nỗi đau. Tận cùng của nỗi đau là sự lãng quên, ai đó đã nói như thế. Picasso đã lãng quên, hay nói đúng hơn là chôn vùi tất cả tình yêu thương với tất cả, từ người vợ ông theo đuổi những năm tuổi trẻ, đến đứa con trai vô dụng dưới cái bóng của cha, cho đến cô cháu gái luôn khát khao một tình yêu thương cháy bỏng với ông mình.
Marina không vậy. Cô là đứa cháu gái ý thức được nỗi nhục nhã của cha nó khi hằng tháng đến xin tiền ông, ý thức được nỗi bất hạnh của gia đình mình khi mọi thứ đều mang tên "nỗi đau Picasso". Cô không thù ghét Picasso. Cô bảo vệ ông cô - Picasso - khi bạn bè lấy nó ra xỉ nhục. Cô thèm khát được ôm chầm lấy ông, được tự đến thăm ông, được nói với ông tất cả những lời yêu thương. Đó là khát khao bình thường của bao đứa trẻ. Nhưng không, tất cả đã dừng lại sau cánh cổng của tòa dinh thự nguy nga, khối cô đơn khổng lồ mà Picasso xây dựng nên.
Nghệ thuật của Picasso bắt nguồn tự sự phá vỡ. Nó không một chút bình lặng mà đầy gai góc. Phải chăng, nó được xây dựng từ những thứ ông tước bỏ đi của người khác. Ông mang tất cả vào hội họa, và để lại nỗi đau trong lòng mọi người. Trong đó có cô cháu gái của ông, Marina Picasso.
Marina Picasso thì lại khác. Cô viết cuốn sách này sau hơn 30 năm im lặng trước cái chết của Picasso, sau một quãng thời gian dài điều trị tâm lí. Cô viết mọi thứ rất đỗi bình yên, nhưng lại đầy nỗi đau. Nỗi đau đó ở đây chính là tình yêu thương khô héo, được ngụy biện khéo léo của Picasso, và giống như con dao cùn, nó cào xé trái tim người đọc.
Khi đọc cuốn sách này, mình rất sợ những dấu *, bởi kết thúc 1 đoạn là một nỗi đau. Không nỗi đau nào giống nhau, cũng không có tình yêu thương nào được đáp lại. Cả cuốn sách, không hề có một nụ cười nào nở ra trên môi mình, chỉ toàn là những phút giây bần thần, người lặng đi, để rồi xót xa cho số phận của một dòng họ.
Cả một quãng đời thơ ấu của chúng tôi đã được ru bằng những tiếng "đau ốm" và "lo âu"
Cuộc đời có lẽ là như thế
Khoan, review hãy còn chưa kết thúc. Bởi phần sau cuốn sách là tình yêu thương thật sự. Tình yêu nảy sinh sau cái chết của Picasso. Chỉ có dăm ba trang thôi, nhưng nó đã khiến cuốn sách không nhấn chìm người đọc vào dòng bi lụy. Marina, sau khi thoát khỏi cái bóng của dòng họ Picasso, đã lên đường tìm lại yêu thương trong cuộc đời. Cô giống như bà mẹ tìm hạt cải của Phật, hòa mình vào nỗi đau nhân loại nói chung, và nói riêng là nỗi đau của Việt Nam. Yêu thương chớm nở từ những trang cuối của cuốn sách, le lói và dẫn dắt con người ta đến với niềm tin vào cuộc sống ở trước mặt.
~--~
Có thể bạn chưa biết, hiện nay ở Thủ Đức, có làng thanh niên Marina Picasso, nơi chăm sóc những trẻ mồ côi, những đứa trẻ đã từng thiếu thốn tình yêu thương :) . Và 3/5 đứa con của Marina là trẻ mồ côi VN :). Cái tên Picasso có lẽ đã đến lúc giúp ích cho đời.
p/s: định viết dài hơn nữa, cơ mà review mà, phải nửa kín nửa hở, quyến rũ để người ta tìm đọc, dù rằng chắc chắn chẳng ai đọc đâu :v
Muốn tạo ra một con bồ câu, phải vặn cổ nó trước đã. (Pablo Picasso)
Cho các con tôi, Dimitri, Hore, Horian, Gael, May với tất cả lòng thương yêu. (Marina Picasso)
2 câu nói như vậy đã mở đầu cho một cuốn sách nhỏ, chỉ vỏn vẹn hơn 200 trang. Nhưng bấy nhiêu đó thôi đã đủ khiến cho mình phát điên. Thực sự là thế.
Nếu bạn có một gia đình êm ấm, một chỗ dựa vững chãi, bạn hãy đọc cuốn này, để thấy rằng yêu thương là cần thiết biết bao. Và nếu bạn có một gia đình, thừa mứa vật chất, thiếu thốn tình yêu thương, và không tìm được hạnh phúc, hãy đọc cuốn sách nhỏ này, để thấy mình trong đó. Đùa thôi, quyển sách này không phải là thứ công cụ vạn năng giúp bạn vượt qua tất cả, nó chứa đựng nỗi căm hờn nhiều hơn là yêu thương, với giọng văn đầy lạnh lùng, xâu xé người đọc của tác giả, Picasso Ông tôi sẽ đưa bạn về với thế giới thực, ở đó, yêu thương con người không bao giờ đủ.
Cuốn sách được viết bởi một người sinh ra trong nỗi đau. Một nỗi đau mà có lẽ Kafka cũng đã từng trải qua. Là cháu gái của Picasso! Sống dưới cái bóng của một thiên tài đã là điều không dễ, sống dưới cái bóng của một người ích kỉ, đó lại là nỗi đau. Picasso, danh họa trứ danh một thời (và cả về sau) mang trong mình mọi thứ: tiền tài, danh vọng, và kể cả sự ngưỡng mộ của những người con. Ấy thế mà ông lại hờ hững với tất cả, kể cả là gia đình, mọi thứ chỉ là thứ yếu, là thứ hiển nhiên có và chỉ để phục vụ cho đam mê nghệ thuật của ông. Cháu ông, Marina, lại không có điều đó. Cô chỉ có cái tên của dòng họ Picasso và nỗi đau. Không có tiền và tình yêu thương.
Nghịch lí đó tồn tại xuyên suốt cả câu chuyện. Một câu chuyện buồn của cả một dòng họ.
Đó không hẳn đã là tận cùng của nỗi đau. Tận cùng của nỗi đau là sự lãng quên, ai đó đã nói như thế. Picasso đã lãng quên, hay nói đúng hơn là chôn vùi tất cả tình yêu thương với tất cả, từ người vợ ông theo đuổi những năm tuổi trẻ, đến đứa con trai vô dụng dưới cái bóng của cha, cho đến cô cháu gái luôn khát khao một tình yêu thương cháy bỏng với ông mình.
Marina không vậy. Cô là đứa cháu gái ý thức được nỗi nhục nhã của cha nó khi hằng tháng đến xin tiền ông, ý thức được nỗi bất hạnh của gia đình mình khi mọi thứ đều mang tên "nỗi đau Picasso". Cô không thù ghét Picasso. Cô bảo vệ ông cô - Picasso - khi bạn bè lấy nó ra xỉ nhục. Cô thèm khát được ôm chầm lấy ông, được tự đến thăm ông, được nói với ông tất cả những lời yêu thương. Đó là khát khao bình thường của bao đứa trẻ. Nhưng không, tất cả đã dừng lại sau cánh cổng của tòa dinh thự nguy nga, khối cô đơn khổng lồ mà Picasso xây dựng nên.
Nghệ thuật của Picasso bắt nguồn tự sự phá vỡ. Nó không một chút bình lặng mà đầy gai góc. Phải chăng, nó được xây dựng từ những thứ ông tước bỏ đi của người khác. Ông mang tất cả vào hội họa, và để lại nỗi đau trong lòng mọi người. Trong đó có cô cháu gái của ông, Marina Picasso.
Marina Picasso thì lại khác. Cô viết cuốn sách này sau hơn 30 năm im lặng trước cái chết của Picasso, sau một quãng thời gian dài điều trị tâm lí. Cô viết mọi thứ rất đỗi bình yên, nhưng lại đầy nỗi đau. Nỗi đau đó ở đây chính là tình yêu thương khô héo, được ngụy biện khéo léo của Picasso, và giống như con dao cùn, nó cào xé trái tim người đọc.
Khi đọc cuốn sách này, mình rất sợ những dấu *, bởi kết thúc 1 đoạn là một nỗi đau. Không nỗi đau nào giống nhau, cũng không có tình yêu thương nào được đáp lại. Cả cuốn sách, không hề có một nụ cười nào nở ra trên môi mình, chỉ toàn là những phút giây bần thần, người lặng đi, để rồi xót xa cho số phận của một dòng họ.
Cả một quãng đời thơ ấu của chúng tôi đã được ru bằng những tiếng "đau ốm" và "lo âu"
Cuộc đời có lẽ là như thế
Khoan, review hãy còn chưa kết thúc. Bởi phần sau cuốn sách là tình yêu thương thật sự. Tình yêu nảy sinh sau cái chết của Picasso. Chỉ có dăm ba trang thôi, nhưng nó đã khiến cuốn sách không nhấn chìm người đọc vào dòng bi lụy. Marina, sau khi thoát khỏi cái bóng của dòng họ Picasso, đã lên đường tìm lại yêu thương trong cuộc đời. Cô giống như bà mẹ tìm hạt cải của Phật, hòa mình vào nỗi đau nhân loại nói chung, và nói riêng là nỗi đau của Việt Nam. Yêu thương chớm nở từ những trang cuối của cuốn sách, le lói và dẫn dắt con người ta đến với niềm tin vào cuộc sống ở trước mặt.
~--~
Có thể bạn chưa biết, hiện nay ở Thủ Đức, có làng thanh niên Marina Picasso, nơi chăm sóc những trẻ mồ côi, những đứa trẻ đã từng thiếu thốn tình yêu thương :) . Và 3/5 đứa con của Marina là trẻ mồ côi VN :). Cái tên Picasso có lẽ đã đến lúc giúp ích cho đời.
p/s: định viết dài hơn nữa, cơ mà review mà, phải nửa kín nửa hở, quyến rũ để người ta tìm đọc, dù rằng chắc chắn chẳng ai đọc đâu :v
January 8, 2017
This book was hard to read because it was so angry and bitter. It was a really the author's emotional journey rather than a cohesive narrative, and often a scene is interrupted by the author agonising over the devastating emotional toll Picasso's actions had / telling us blankly what a monster he was and how loveless her childhood was. There was also a lot of assumed knowledge of Picasso's lovers and life, so I spent time reading articles about him and his wives/mistresses alongside the book. The booked raised interesting issues around personal vs public life, and who we choose to honour. I was somewhat disturbed by the way she adopted three children. The way she explains it makes it seem impulsive and that she believes herself to be in the saviour/heroine role - that she will find redemption through these three children. I can't say I 'liked' it particularly, but it will definitely stay with me.
March 9, 2023
Super interessant à lire, on en apprend bcp sur le lien qu’entretenait Picasso et sa famille (un lien pour le peu… toxique. Le mec voulait qu’on l’appelle Monseigneur ??)
Je finirais par : #picacasso
Je finirais par : #picacasso
April 3, 2024
Den är hemsk för att den är sann
Men den är fantastiskt skriven och intressant som fan
Men den är fantastiskt skriven och intressant som fan
March 12, 2015
Wer auch immer Marina Picassos Psychotherapeut war: Es scheint keine empfehlenswerte Adresse zu sein. Denn das Buch legt nahe, dass die Enkelin Pablo Picassos auch nach 14 Jahren auf der Couch zu keinem souveränen, erwachsenen Umgang mit ihrer - zugegeben schwierigen - Familiengeschichte gelangt ist.
Es ist häufig enervierend, wie Marina Picasso auf knapp 200 Seiten die Schuld an allem, wirklich allem Unglück in ihrem Leben auf ihren Großvater schiebt, ohne recht plausibel zu machen, worin seine unglaubliche Grausamkeit ihr gegenüber denn nun eigentlich bestanden haben soll. Okay, mag sein, Picasso war vermutlich wirklich ein egozentrisches Ekel, und mit diesem übergroßen Namen aufzuwachsen, ist garantiert eine Bürde. Unbestritten auch, dass Marina Picasso Traumatisierendes erlebt hat, vor allem den grauenhaften Selbstmord ihres Bruders Pablito. Doch alles Schlimme auf den übermächtigen Schatten des Opas zurückzuführen, ist dann wohl doch etwas zu einfach. Und, sorry, es ist larmoyant, wenn Marina sich etwa beklagt, dass ihr sogar eine große Portion Popcorn einen Schrecken einjagt - natürlich wegen der Größe Picassos.
Immerhin finden sich gegen Ende des Buchs einige Passagen, in denen etwas mehr gelassene Erkenntnis aufblitzt. Marina versucht dann doch noch über einige Zeilen hinweg, sich auch einmal in die Perspektive ihres Großvaters hineinzudenken. Und es ist tröstlich zu erfahren, dass sie schließlich ihren berühmten Namen und das üppige Erbe für gute Zwecke einsetzt.
Unterm Strich ist das Buch bei allem Kopfschütteln schnell herunterzulesen, ist nicht langweilig und befriedigt eine gewisse Neugier, wenn man sich für den dysfunktionalen Picasso-Clan interessiert. Über Picasso selbst erfährt man allerdings praktisch nichts. Stilistisch ist das Buch auf professionelle Art flott, aber ohne Anspruch und mit deutlicher Neigung zum Pathetischen.
Es ist häufig enervierend, wie Marina Picasso auf knapp 200 Seiten die Schuld an allem, wirklich allem Unglück in ihrem Leben auf ihren Großvater schiebt, ohne recht plausibel zu machen, worin seine unglaubliche Grausamkeit ihr gegenüber denn nun eigentlich bestanden haben soll. Okay, mag sein, Picasso war vermutlich wirklich ein egozentrisches Ekel, und mit diesem übergroßen Namen aufzuwachsen, ist garantiert eine Bürde. Unbestritten auch, dass Marina Picasso Traumatisierendes erlebt hat, vor allem den grauenhaften Selbstmord ihres Bruders Pablito. Doch alles Schlimme auf den übermächtigen Schatten des Opas zurückzuführen, ist dann wohl doch etwas zu einfach. Und, sorry, es ist larmoyant, wenn Marina sich etwa beklagt, dass ihr sogar eine große Portion Popcorn einen Schrecken einjagt - natürlich wegen der Größe Picassos.
Immerhin finden sich gegen Ende des Buchs einige Passagen, in denen etwas mehr gelassene Erkenntnis aufblitzt. Marina versucht dann doch noch über einige Zeilen hinweg, sich auch einmal in die Perspektive ihres Großvaters hineinzudenken. Und es ist tröstlich zu erfahren, dass sie schließlich ihren berühmten Namen und das üppige Erbe für gute Zwecke einsetzt.
Unterm Strich ist das Buch bei allem Kopfschütteln schnell herunterzulesen, ist nicht langweilig und befriedigt eine gewisse Neugier, wenn man sich für den dysfunktionalen Picasso-Clan interessiert. Über Picasso selbst erfährt man allerdings praktisch nichts. Stilistisch ist das Buch auf professionelle Art flott, aber ohne Anspruch und mit deutlicher Neigung zum Pathetischen.
February 13, 2018
I got through 30 pages and then just couldn't finish this book. It's dreadful. Marina Picasso's hatred of and contempt for her grandfather knows no bounds. It's really appalling. And what did Picasso do to gain her enmity? He was insulting. Yeah, that makes him a "monster" according to the Vancouver Sun on the front cover of the book. Her father, his son, had to work for him as a chauffeur. Well, everyone has choices in life. He chose to work for his dad and therefore had to get paid by him, which the family found humiliating. BFD. I felt no pity for this woman, and she so desperately wants to get pity from the reader. I couldn't finish it. It was too pathetic. She needs to go to additional therapy, over the 14 years she went, and get the hell over it. Get a life Marina!
March 5, 2017
I got this book in the Dutch translation, as a gift from a friend who was clearing out her bookshelves. And I tried to read it. After about 35 pages I gave up. I understand that Marina feels her life has been ruined by her grandfather and I never thought that the famous Pablo Picasso was a nice person. I think he was a very narcistic person with a total absence of empathic abilities. But in what I read until now every adjective is negative and/or accusing, each action by her grandfather she describes is accompanied by an accusing interpretation. Writing this book may have been very helpful for Marina Picasso to come to terms with her past. However, for someone else it is almost impossible to read. It is for me, in any case.
September 21, 2014
Reading this book by Picasso's grand daughter left me quite astonished at how cruel a man Picasso really was. A man intoxicated and addicted by his own legend who thought he was above the human race and treated it with contempt - even his own flesh and blood. At the same time, I was just as amazed at how much his family continued to submit themselves to him and his acts of cruelty for a piece of the Picasso fortune - rather than find their own way in the world. The mind boggles at the human ability to abuse power.
August 14, 2018
Lovely and very easy to read.
Really liked Marina’s personal growth towards acceptance through the book.
Really liked Marina’s personal growth towards acceptance through the book.
January 14, 2019
Devastating in its simplicity
March 25, 2017
Marina Picasso, Picasso: My Grandfather(New York: Riverhead Books, 2001) 198pp
For Picasso, the most banal object became a work of art.
The same was true of the women who had the privilege- or misfortune-of being swept up in his tornado. He submitted them to his animal sexuality, tamed them, bewitched them, ingested them and crushed them onto his canvas. (Picasso: 2001, 180)
Picasso My Grandfather by Marina PicassoWhen Picasso died in 1973, he left behind four children and three grandchildren. ‘In order to create, he had to destroy everything that got in the way of his creation’ (Picasso: 2001, 74), and Picasso: My Grandfather is a raw account of a girl, then a woman, who would only ever see the evil in Picasso’s genius, and witnesses the destruction first hand. She bravely recounts her life as a Picasso, and the 14 years of psychoanalysis in order to reach a place where she no longer feels in the shadow of her Grandfather.
Marina Picasso’s account of her life is honest if not a damaged perception of the man that was her Grandfather. She catalogues a horrendous breakdown that led to 14 years of psychoanalysis, in fear of losing her two children, and invites us to renegotiate our own perception of the majesty that surrounded her grandfather.
Marina uses her psychoanalysis as an anchor within the narrative. This unintentionally guides the reader to sit in the psychoanalysts chair, and from this seat you not only see through the eyes of the author, but how the perceptions formed in her childhood have coloured her vision of Picasso throughout her life. Picasso: My Grandfather is 14 years of psychoanalysis in 198 pages.
Marina’s father, Paulo, was the first born of Picasso and his first wife, Olga Khokhlova (1891-1955). Ever seeking his father’s approval, and not allowing a bad word said against him, Paulo is presented as a semi-absent father who was a coward and yet loyal to his father who he, like the critics and other artists, perceived as god-like, even though according to Marina, Picasso viewed him as a disappointment, ‘you’re incapable of supporting your children. You’re incapable of making a living! You’re incapable of doing anything! You’re second-rate and will always be second-rate. You’re a waste of my time!’ (Picasso: 2001, 16) Marina recalls her Grandfather saying to his father on a visit to La Californie, Picasso’s home.
Her disjointed relationship with her mother, Emilienne Lotte, is a sad anecdote injected with obsession and delusion. Emilienne held on to the name Picasso like a trophy, including after the separation from Paulo. Marina describes her as having ‘narcissistic outbursts. Persecution mania. And, above all, depicting herself as the victim’ (Picasso: 2001, 129). And even though she accepts her mother’s part in her own mental and emotion struggle, she still refers to her mother as suffering from the ‘Picasso virus’.
The most beautiful, inspirational, and enviable relationship in the book, is the saddest and most tragic, and that is that of her and her brother, Pablito.
However, what links this saga together is a man who was, and remains, one of the world’s greatest artists. A man whose personal life mirrored anything but his professional life. Although not the first book by someone close to Picasso, it is the first to display such hate and loathing. From the start to the last few chapters the resentment and the blame is palpable with every word written.
Marina is very successful at ensuring you turn the page. I read the book in one sitting, gripped and intrigued, deeply saddened by her story and yet frustrated at the absolute responsibility she puts on Picasso. The pace is almost perfect, only being punctuated by a lengthy account of a bullfight she attended with her grandfather, father, and brother. Although he was undoubtedly indifferent when it came to his children and grandchildren, a narcissist as an artist, and a manipulator and puppet master of his women, sitting in the chair of the psychoanalyst you can’t help but see the idiosyncrasy of Emilienne, which has nothing to do with the Picasso directly, he only being a single subject within her delusions and mental health problems.
The last few chapters were regrettably anticlimactic. Marina closes with an open letter to her two eldest children, and discloses how she spent her inheritance. While the outcome of her ordeal is essential, perhaps the details were unnecessary, and although she deserves to celebrate successfully resolving her breakdown after 14 years of psychoanalysis, this book demonstrates quite clearly that her final statement, ‘I’m at peace with myself’, is not quite absolute. You cannot read from page 1 to 198 and agree with her statement.
Picasso: My Grandfather is for anyone interested in Picasso beyond his life as a painter. It is important to understand that the book is a raw account from his grand-daughter and is a biography of her life, her life as a Picasso, and her response to events that unfolded around her. It is not a biography of Picasso and is not for Picasso purists who wish to believe his perfection in every aspect of his life.
Please visit https://vermiliongoldfishartblog.word... to see the original review.
July 2, 2023
Marina turned out to be an antithesis of his grandfather.
Only recently I’ve came across the fact that Picasso destroyed everything around him by blindly chasing his art and Marina’s testimony, even if, in my opinion, slightly biased, just proves that point.
Years after his death and by Marina’s hands, his work is actually helping others outside of Picasso’s own ego and that’s just wonderful.
Only recently I’ve came across the fact that Picasso destroyed everything around him by blindly chasing his art and Marina’s testimony, even if, in my opinion, slightly biased, just proves that point.
Years after his death and by Marina’s hands, his work is actually helping others outside of Picasso’s own ego and that’s just wonderful.
November 19, 2025
"Il ne refaisait pas le monde, il imposait le sien [...] Pudeur et impudeur, vitalité et mort, violence et sensibilité, provocation et naïveté, il faisait vibrer toutes ces cordes avec une intensité qui irradiait tous ceux qui l'approchaient."
October 22, 2025
a small book but the words written inside have a huge impact, one that will keep you pondering days after finishing it
May 9, 2017
I haven't been so disappointed in a book for quite some time.
This isn't a story about Pablo Picasso the artist. This isn't a story about Pablo Picasso, grandfather to Marina Picasso. This is a story about Marina Picasso, a bitter woman who seems to have been influenced or manipulated by her alcoholic of a mother to think badly of her grandfather for not lavishing her with gifts. A story about a woman who wants to feel good about herself and wants to accuse her grandfather for not being grandfatherly, her father for wanting to please her grandfather (his father), her mother for throwing the name Picasso here and there.
She seems too attached to the name Picasso for a woman who claims that she wanted to get rid of the baggage. Woman, if you really wanted to get rid of it, you would've changed your name the first chance you got.
She says that she didn't want the inheritance after her father and grandfather had passed, but at the same time she seems to be doing so much with the same money. She says that she's not living like a celebrity, but really, how many people actually have the chance to (partially) fund orphanages from their own pocket? Be glad for what you have and I'm sure the mission is great, but please stop being so frigging bitter about a grandfather you barely knew!
Do not recommend.
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This isn't a story about Pablo Picasso the artist. This isn't a story about Pablo Picasso, grandfather to Marina Picasso. This is a story about Marina Picasso, a bitter woman who seems to have been influenced or manipulated by her alcoholic of a mother to think badly of her grandfather for not lavishing her with gifts. A story about a woman who wants to feel good about herself and wants to accuse her grandfather for not being grandfatherly, her father for wanting to please her grandfather (his father), her mother for throwing the name Picasso here and there.
She seems too attached to the name Picasso for a woman who claims that she wanted to get rid of the baggage. Woman, if you really wanted to get rid of it, you would've changed your name the first chance you got.
She says that she didn't want the inheritance after her father and grandfather had passed, but at the same time she seems to be doing so much with the same money. She says that she's not living like a celebrity, but really, how many people actually have the chance to (partially) fund orphanages from their own pocket? Be glad for what you have and I'm sure the mission is great, but please stop being so frigging bitter about a grandfather you barely knew!
Do not recommend.
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September 4, 2019
I find it hard to see why it would be too shocking for greatest painter of history to be remembered by his loved ones (the author) as an indecent human being without much time for family life on which the readers have been exposed before to and again in this book. The picasso name now carries an almost immortal status and dives further to the man himself.
Other reviews say parts are overdramatic and whining. So to those it comes off as that , it won't get much better. However art history and researching purposes *picasso nerds, give it a read for the special relationship between artist and family seen through her eyes of the grand daughter.
Other reviews say parts are overdramatic and whining. So to those it comes off as that , it won't get much better. However art history and researching purposes *picasso nerds, give it a read for the special relationship between artist and family seen through her eyes of the grand daughter.
October 18, 2021
This was a heavy memoir. I felt very sorry for Marina and her brother. At first I did not like this book because it was so depressing, but the author evoked emotion. I felt her struggles and her pain. I was rooting for her. That is good writing. The book was interesting. I do not know much about Picasso's personal life, so I have not read other accounts of his character. I'm not sure how true this is. It is supposed to be true, but it most certainly is biased. The granddaughter is telling her story about her relationship with Picasso.
August 13, 2017
This book was a quick , page turning read. It speaks of despair and living in the shadow of Picasso. Picasso seems like an egomaniacal asshole; I am glad that Marina got quite a bit of his swag following the death of her door mat father. It is a poignant read. 3 stars. This would have been 4 or 5, but Marina excised a huge portion of her life in the book.
September 25, 2017
Marina is a sick person !
How come her grandfather is the reason of her misery? What about her lazy father ... her crazy drunken selfish mother ?
Is it normal that a young man ( her brother) committed suicide just because he wasn't welcomed to attend Picasso's funeral ? What if he was mentally sick because of his mom ?
I barely was able to finish this book !
So disappointed !
How come her grandfather is the reason of her misery? What about her lazy father ... her crazy drunken selfish mother ?
Is it normal that a young man ( her brother) committed suicide just because he wasn't welcomed to attend Picasso's funeral ? What if he was mentally sick because of his mom ?
I barely was able to finish this book !
So disappointed !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2018
It was sad to read this book, as Marina Picasso portrayed her grandfather Pablo in quite an unexpected way: as a cruel man who didn't pay much attention to his family and relatives. Despite that, the book is worth reading, especially to get to know the other side of one of the most outstanding artists of XX century.
July 4, 2022
me gustó mucho, la verdad fue difícil leerlo por lo triste que se me hacía pero ya en el final se me hizo más ligero. El final es super cute :((( y me dejó una sensación linda, como de "calma" o "paz" ¿? por ver como Marina pudo, a pesar de todo lo que vivió, reconstruir su vida
Me la re volé pero, en conclusión: Picasso eras un forro
Me la re volé pero, en conclusión: Picasso eras un forro
September 13, 2010
While suffering the anguish of the Picasso name and not having any kind of relationship with her grandfather,
Marina becomes a bit whiny in this book. From Marina's viewpoint, Picasso swept up the women in his life and then disposed of them. This book is not pretty, but captivating
Marina becomes a bit whiny in this book. From Marina's viewpoint, Picasso swept up the women in his life and then disposed of them. This book is not pretty, but captivating
October 29, 2015
Беше ми трудно да прочета тази книга, но горещо я препоръчвам на всички настоящи и бъдещи родители.
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