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Lost Generation Trilogy #1
Charmed Circle: Gertrude Stein and Company
Avant-garde Paris comes to life in this "meticulous and loving reconstruction of the period" (The New York Times Book Review)
On almost every Saturday of the first half of the twentieth century, Gertrude Stein would open her door to the likes of Picasso and Matisse, Hemingway and Fitzgerald, Cocteau and Apollinaire, welcoming them into a salon alive with vivid avant-garde paintings and sparkling intellectual conversation. In Charmed Circle, James R. Mellow has re-created this fascinating world and the complex woman who dominated it. His engaging narrative illuminates Stein's writing—now celebrated along with the work of such literary giants as Joyce and Woolf—including her difficult early periods, which adapted cubism and abstraction to the written word. Rich with detail and insight, it conveys both the serene rhythms of daily life with her devoted partner, Alice B. Toklas, and the radical pulse and dramatic upheavals of her exciting era.
Spanning the years from 1903, when Stein first arrived in Paris, to her final days at the end of the Second World War, Charmed Circle is a penetrating and lively account of a writer at the heart of modernity.
On almost every Saturday of the first half of the twentieth century, Gertrude Stein would open her door to the likes of Picasso and Matisse, Hemingway and Fitzgerald, Cocteau and Apollinaire, welcoming them into a salon alive with vivid avant-garde paintings and sparkling intellectual conversation. In Charmed Circle, James R. Mellow has re-created this fascinating world and the complex woman who dominated it. His engaging narrative illuminates Stein's writing—now celebrated along with the work of such literary giants as Joyce and Woolf—including her difficult early periods, which adapted cubism and abstraction to the written word. Rich with detail and insight, it conveys both the serene rhythms of daily life with her devoted partner, Alice B. Toklas, and the radical pulse and dramatic upheavals of her exciting era.
Spanning the years from 1903, when Stein first arrived in Paris, to her final days at the end of the Second World War, Charmed Circle is a penetrating and lively account of a writer at the heart of modernity.
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
54 people are currently reading
1719 people want to read
About the author
James R. Mellow
25 books3 followersJames Robert Mellow was an American art critic and biographer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 10, 2015
Which is more plodding and ponderous, the author or Gertrude Stein? I quit reading this lumbering giant of a book at page 300, in part because I disliked the characters (Gertrude's self-obsession and bloated ego) and inaccurate descriptions of others. For instance, on page 279 Natalie Clifford Barney is "a wealthy American widow." This statement almost closed the book for me, because it implies that she inherited her financial independence from a husband. This led me to question the validity of statements on others, including Gertrude Stein. Enough is enough is enough.
July 28, 2024
It can be hard to read enough about Gertrude and Alice. In fact I have spent way more time reading about them than I have actually reading Stein's works (except, perhaps, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas).
They made such an interesting couple, and every biographer brings something new. There was a time in Paris when everybody who was anybody wanted to visit the famous couple and see the famous paintings and talk about whatever it was that people talked about when they got together and talked.
This biographer, for example, barely mentions Samuel M. Steward; another might focus on just this one relationship. Rogers pops up; he was a doughboy from World War I and he too has written his own book. So many have written their own books, just from visiting and sitting and talking or perhaps more likely mostly listening.
Hemingway and Stein, Picasso and Stein, poor old Sherwood Anderson and Stein — the combinations are almost endless. Carl Van Vechton, who did so much, he is talked about and also not talked about. But Gertrude and Alice, themselves, if you want to know more you must read newer books than this one and books written by women.
They made such an interesting couple, and every biographer brings something new. There was a time in Paris when everybody who was anybody wanted to visit the famous couple and see the famous paintings and talk about whatever it was that people talked about when they got together and talked.
This biographer, for example, barely mentions Samuel M. Steward; another might focus on just this one relationship. Rogers pops up; he was a doughboy from World War I and he too has written his own book. So many have written their own books, just from visiting and sitting and talking or perhaps more likely mostly listening.
Hemingway and Stein, Picasso and Stein, poor old Sherwood Anderson and Stein — the combinations are almost endless. Carl Van Vechton, who did so much, he is talked about and also not talked about. But Gertrude and Alice, themselves, if you want to know more you must read newer books than this one and books written by women.
July 25, 2013
An interesting biography of this American who left her country for France at the turn of the century. Gertrude Stein returned only once to the United States as part of a book promotion tour. She stayed in France until her death in 1946 – she is buried at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
She met several people during her life’s journey – most of who were connected with the arts like Picasso, Matisse, Erik Satie, F. Scott Fitzgerald – the list goes on. She was also a collector –but she could only afford the Picasso paintings at the beginning of his career. After the First World War Picasso’s stature was so high (partially due to Gertrude Stein’s publicity) that she could no longer purchase his paintings.
I believe that Gertrude Stein’s legacy is due more to her talkative gatherings with artists and her collections, than being a writer. She was a compulsive writer; she wrote everyday and kept everything she wrote. As the author states her writings were long-winded, lacked narrative and had a repetitive style. Also as Hemingway remarked of her – she did not believe in editing. She grandiosely believed that all she wrote was a jewel of wisdom and delight. For the most part - except for the “Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas” – her writings are unavailable today. Her style is similar to James Joyce who she detested, probably due to writer’s envy.
Mr. Mellow describes well the historical events surrounding Gertrude Stein’s life in Paris and France. He is not afraid to attack her rambling writings, her egotism and her lack of political insight (particularly on Hitler and the coming of World War II). I would have preferred less on her literary output (which I for the most part find to be ego-driven diary portraits) and more on her relationship with Alice Toklas. I also would have liked to know how they sustained themselves economically for over 40 years. Gertrude never worked as a wage earner – which is reflected in her writings which lack the common touch.
Nevertheless we are presented with a strong and independent person who enjoyed the fellowship and camaraderie of all – whether they were artists, writers, American G.I.’s or farmers residing near her country house.
She met several people during her life’s journey – most of who were connected with the arts like Picasso, Matisse, Erik Satie, F. Scott Fitzgerald – the list goes on. She was also a collector –but she could only afford the Picasso paintings at the beginning of his career. After the First World War Picasso’s stature was so high (partially due to Gertrude Stein’s publicity) that she could no longer purchase his paintings.
I believe that Gertrude Stein’s legacy is due more to her talkative gatherings with artists and her collections, than being a writer. She was a compulsive writer; she wrote everyday and kept everything she wrote. As the author states her writings were long-winded, lacked narrative and had a repetitive style. Also as Hemingway remarked of her – she did not believe in editing. She grandiosely believed that all she wrote was a jewel of wisdom and delight. For the most part - except for the “Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas” – her writings are unavailable today. Her style is similar to James Joyce who she detested, probably due to writer’s envy.
Mr. Mellow describes well the historical events surrounding Gertrude Stein’s life in Paris and France. He is not afraid to attack her rambling writings, her egotism and her lack of political insight (particularly on Hitler and the coming of World War II). I would have preferred less on her literary output (which I for the most part find to be ego-driven diary portraits) and more on her relationship with Alice Toklas. I also would have liked to know how they sustained themselves economically for over 40 years. Gertrude never worked as a wage earner – which is reflected in her writings which lack the common touch.
Nevertheless we are presented with a strong and independent person who enjoyed the fellowship and camaraderie of all – whether they were artists, writers, American G.I.’s or farmers residing near her country house.
February 4, 2013
Not sure where to start with this book - it sort of came at me on many different levels. First, it was a little more difficult read than most of the biographies we get today. It was pretty scholarly and very thorough, but it was also extremely interesting. For those who haven't gone beyond " . . . a rose is a rose is a rose . . .," this book will open your eyes to the life of a very interesting thinker and writer. As others have stated, Stein comes off as being very ego-centric - she seems to have lived in a world of her own contrivance. Virtually all who surrounded her were swept into a milieu that she created, defined, and ruled over. And I think her brother was even more self-centered! But the world she occupied (along with Alice Toklas - they were as one) was absolutely amazingly creative and exciting. Her relationships with the great artists and writers of the time is nothing short of incredible (I can see why Gil Pender was awestruck when he met her), and this book is a great introduction into the lives of many of the most important artist of the period.
This is not a book that I would suggest to a reader who wasn't already interested in Stein and Toklas - it's just a bit too long and slow. But if Stein and the artists and writers of the early 1900's interests you, it is well worth the effort (and early on, it does take a little effort). As the book progresses, the reading becomes more interesting and stimulating. Gertrude was a strange, strange lady in many ways, but she was also very down-to-earth and domestic. In all, a very good book and a great learning experience.
This is not a book that I would suggest to a reader who wasn't already interested in Stein and Toklas - it's just a bit too long and slow. But if Stein and the artists and writers of the early 1900's interests you, it is well worth the effort (and early on, it does take a little effort). As the book progresses, the reading becomes more interesting and stimulating. Gertrude was a strange, strange lady in many ways, but she was also very down-to-earth and domestic. In all, a very good book and a great learning experience.
April 5, 2025
What can I say about this unapologetic gossip about Gertrude Stein? I loved it. I love reading about her curious nature, her queer relationships, her (terribly wrong) politics. I love the strengths and the flaws of GS. (And I’m particularly moved by the difficulty of Alice B. Toklas’ last years… that gets too little mention.) The lives of these women are pure contradiction. Their teeter-totter balance of rebellion and conservatism. Their imperial and provincial allegiances. Their outsider Americanism. What a riot! What a shame! What a wonderfully complete picture of people!
May 17, 2020
Plodding. This is not a book one reads for fun. It’s not a page-turner. This is one you read for information, and for that it is excellent, well deserving its reputation. If you seek details on Gertrude Stein and her Charmed Circle, then you won’t be disappointed. The writing is direct & serviceable, but not vivid or engaging. The text could have benefitted from a tighter edit, especially the first half, and could have shaved off a hundred pages from the 477 that seems much longer – not that I’m adverse to lengthy reads, but it would seem less ponderous.
Otherwise, Charmed Circle: Gertrude Stein & Company suffers from a fault I’ve found common in other accounts of Stein, and this fault may lie with me: it never seems to come across to me why GS was so charismatic and popular. That is, what did her charmed circle find so attractive? She was pompous beyond comprehension, unbounded in appreciation of her own self-appraised genius. Although author James R. Mellow clearly communicates the nature of her personality, he fails to answer that question for me. Maybe there is no answer. Nevertheless, I persevere in this quest.
Charmed Circle would have been better as two volumes, and the text itself is divided into a Book One and Book Two. It’s in the latter half that Mellow hits his stride, perhaps because enough facts exist to make an interesting story. Overall, the circle reminds me of nothing so much as a high school literary magazine. As an Atlantic editor notes in a letter to GS rejecting one of her many submissions: “Here there is no group of literati or illuminati or cognoscenti or illustrissimi of any kind, who could agree upon interpretations of your poetry. More than this, you could not find a handful even of careful readers who would think that it was a serious effort.” (p. 347) Leo Stein, GS’s brother, summed up his impression thus: “Gertrude on the other hand hungers and thirsts for gloire…. This would not have been so bad if there had been any general recognition without; a prophet can support not being honored in his own country when other lands sufficiently acclaim him, but when the acclamation otherwhere is faint the absence of support at home is painful.” (p. 202) This is a reminder that it is easy to be creative & original, yet quite a different thing to be creative & original & good.
Ultimately, the most telling assessment of Stein’s work was offered by Gertrude Stein herself: “I sometime wonder how anybody can read my work when I look it over after a time. It seems quite meaningless to me at times. Of course, when I write it it seems luminous and fine and living….” (p. 290)
Otherwise, Charmed Circle: Gertrude Stein & Company suffers from a fault I’ve found common in other accounts of Stein, and this fault may lie with me: it never seems to come across to me why GS was so charismatic and popular. That is, what did her charmed circle find so attractive? She was pompous beyond comprehension, unbounded in appreciation of her own self-appraised genius. Although author James R. Mellow clearly communicates the nature of her personality, he fails to answer that question for me. Maybe there is no answer. Nevertheless, I persevere in this quest.
Charmed Circle would have been better as two volumes, and the text itself is divided into a Book One and Book Two. It’s in the latter half that Mellow hits his stride, perhaps because enough facts exist to make an interesting story. Overall, the circle reminds me of nothing so much as a high school literary magazine. As an Atlantic editor notes in a letter to GS rejecting one of her many submissions: “Here there is no group of literati or illuminati or cognoscenti or illustrissimi of any kind, who could agree upon interpretations of your poetry. More than this, you could not find a handful even of careful readers who would think that it was a serious effort.” (p. 347) Leo Stein, GS’s brother, summed up his impression thus: “Gertrude on the other hand hungers and thirsts for gloire…. This would not have been so bad if there had been any general recognition without; a prophet can support not being honored in his own country when other lands sufficiently acclaim him, but when the acclamation otherwhere is faint the absence of support at home is painful.” (p. 202) This is a reminder that it is easy to be creative & original, yet quite a different thing to be creative & original & good.
Ultimately, the most telling assessment of Stein’s work was offered by Gertrude Stein herself: “I sometime wonder how anybody can read my work when I look it over after a time. It seems quite meaningless to me at times. Of course, when I write it it seems luminous and fine and living….” (p. 290)
November 18, 2011
1974. Many parts were interesting. A concise edition would make a good read [tho I suppose not everyone would agree on which parts could be cut]
Enough things to ponder in the book - being independently wealthy [though the wealth was limited] and how lucky [I suppose] Gertrude and her brother Leo were that elder brother Michael was so competent in managing the inheritance and sending them their monthly allowances and extra money when needed. Ponder how different life would have been if this financial security had not been there...
Ponder the unmolested survival of two Jews living openly in rural France under German occupation [tho apparently they were in an area that officially was not occupied but fell under the Armistice, whatever].
Author, p 95: Stein had "a clinical eye for the strange nature of dependency relationships" [and her life was filled with them].
Author, p 153: "Yet 'The Making of Americans' is a queer and interesting work.... It makes a virtue of amateurism, of amateurism raised to a principle of revolt against academic conventions."
Too often, though, I was distracted or irritated by the author's commentary. This book is far from being a masterpiece, and not especially well written.
Other readers say most of what I would want to:
Joe:
this bio has more detail than i need and yet i enjoyed it. i had to skip many parts cause i wanted to hear the narrative. it reads like a 'whos whos' of early 20th century artists and writers. look at the index in the back and see the many famous people that gertrude and her 40 year partner knew,well.
Brie:
I don't want to like Gertrude Stein, but I can't help it. Her conceit and self-obsession annoy me, but I love the way that it just seems to work for her. I don't like her naivety and total oblivion to the world around her, but at the same time I respect the way that she lives her life exactly the way that she wants to. This book interested me mainly because of the crazy assortment of people that seemed to always flock to her,
Enough things to ponder in the book - being independently wealthy [though the wealth was limited] and how lucky [I suppose] Gertrude and her brother Leo were that elder brother Michael was so competent in managing the inheritance and sending them their monthly allowances and extra money when needed. Ponder how different life would have been if this financial security had not been there...
Ponder the unmolested survival of two Jews living openly in rural France under German occupation [tho apparently they were in an area that officially was not occupied but fell under the Armistice, whatever].
Author, p 95: Stein had "a clinical eye for the strange nature of dependency relationships" [and her life was filled with them].
Author, p 153: "Yet 'The Making of Americans' is a queer and interesting work.... It makes a virtue of amateurism, of amateurism raised to a principle of revolt against academic conventions."
Too often, though, I was distracted or irritated by the author's commentary. This book is far from being a masterpiece, and not especially well written.
Other readers say most of what I would want to:
Joe:
this bio has more detail than i need and yet i enjoyed it. i had to skip many parts cause i wanted to hear the narrative. it reads like a 'whos whos' of early 20th century artists and writers. look at the index in the back and see the many famous people that gertrude and her 40 year partner knew,well.
Brie:
I don't want to like Gertrude Stein, but I can't help it. Her conceit and self-obsession annoy me, but I love the way that it just seems to work for her. I don't like her naivety and total oblivion to the world around her, but at the same time I respect the way that she lives her life exactly the way that she wants to. This book interested me mainly because of the crazy assortment of people that seemed to always flock to her,
May 25, 2020
I didn't know what to make of Gertrude Stein prior to reading this book and, 528 pages later, I'm still not sure. This biography concerns itself with her influence on 20th century arts and letters. Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway, Anderson, Fitzgerald, Wilder - all spent time in Stein's art-filled salon seeking her company. She fancied herself a writer and a self-proclaimed genius, certainly didn't lack for ego, and did not suffer fools (at least those she deemed to be) gladly. The author captures the life in Paris at that time in a way that makes me wish I could transport (however briefly) to that age.
July 26, 2023
Published in 1974, only 7 years after Alice's death, this biography of Alice Toklas and Gertrude Stein is not only interesting for the description of the artists with whom they were befriended, but also a tale of a lesbian marriage decades before such a thing was permitted. The freedom within which privileged lesbians and gays lived in the beginning of the 20th century sometimes feels in sharp contrast to the resurgence of anti-lgbtiq ideology 100 years later.
May 24, 2017
A very interesting book about an eccentric woman and the circles she moved in. I knew of coursewho Ms Stein was but I had no idea she went to medical school, she did not complete her studies.
The circle she moved in was a glittering one, and ranged from artists and writers to ambassadors.
The circle she moved in was a glittering one, and ranged from artists and writers to ambassadors.
December 3, 2017
a great biography about an extremely interesting woman and her talent and life
April 28, 2018
This book was a bear to read. I admit to “skimming” some sections. It was good, but sometimes had too much uninteresting background info.
February 22, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author does a great job of balancing between too much and too little. It helps that his subject was so fascinating.
June 11, 2022
Читати було важко, цікаві моменти перепліталися з купою імен, більшість з яких мені були або маловідомі, або завсім невідомі.
Але я дуже задоволена, що подолала цю книгу
Але я дуже задоволена, що подолала цю книгу
July 4, 2012
Charmed Circle was written in 1974, (and I was reading a first edition paperback), so it does contain a lot of dated language. (I don't think anyone would call Richard Wright a "Negro author" today.)
Gertrude Stein is a very complex character, and her work is extraordinarily difficult to navigate. Most people know the line of her poetry "Rose is a Rose is a rose is a rose," but beyond that few people know who she is today. She spent most of her life in France, among an incredible circle of writers and artists. I took a very long time to read this book, because I kept having to stop and look up particular paintings that were referenced or writers that I was unfamiliar with.
Mellow gives the reader a lot of information, in a detached narrative style. He does an excellent job with excerpts of Stein's work, explaining the significance of passages quoted. But he never really manages to capture the liveliness of Stein and her circle. It's an ambitious topic, but the writing is so dry, it's hard to feel much, even when you're reading about truly wonderful moments, such as Gertrude's service in WWI. Especially absent is much talk about Alice B. Toklas as anything except Stein's maidservant--however, this may be due to the fact that in the '70s, lesbian relationships were not suitable material for books. (Yes, he does mention that Stein is a Lesbian, but he tells very little about their personal relationship.)
If you're familiar with the period, this is a good one to pick up, otherwise, I suggest looking for a more recent tome.
Gertrude Stein is a very complex character, and her work is extraordinarily difficult to navigate. Most people know the line of her poetry "Rose is a Rose is a rose is a rose," but beyond that few people know who she is today. She spent most of her life in France, among an incredible circle of writers and artists. I took a very long time to read this book, because I kept having to stop and look up particular paintings that were referenced or writers that I was unfamiliar with.
Mellow gives the reader a lot of information, in a detached narrative style. He does an excellent job with excerpts of Stein's work, explaining the significance of passages quoted. But he never really manages to capture the liveliness of Stein and her circle. It's an ambitious topic, but the writing is so dry, it's hard to feel much, even when you're reading about truly wonderful moments, such as Gertrude's service in WWI. Especially absent is much talk about Alice B. Toklas as anything except Stein's maidservant--however, this may be due to the fact that in the '70s, lesbian relationships were not suitable material for books. (Yes, he does mention that Stein is a Lesbian, but he tells very little about their personal relationship.)
If you're familiar with the period, this is a good one to pick up, otherwise, I suggest looking for a more recent tome.
November 24, 2015
This isn't a particularly long book. Why then, did it take me so very long to read it? Because it was very boring. This is one of those rarities -- a boring book on an interesting subject.
That subject is Gertrude Stein and her circle of friends. The friends include Picasso, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Juan Gris, Matisse, Cezanne, and many, many others. Those people and that time and place fascinate me, and I've read accounts about and by many of them. And I must say that of all those fascinating and talented people, Gertrude seems to me to be the least talented.
On the other hand, it is fascinating to see how far she got with so little going for her. What she had in her favor was a brother who was a brilliant art collector, and the luck of being in the right place at the right time. She had an ego to rival that of Salvador Dali, but not the talent. She helped many young writers, but would usually drop them if they reached a level to be a threat to her professionally. She supported Petain if not because she was a fascist, then at least because it was in her own self-interest to do so. I think her greatest attribute was her personality that many people found profoundly attractive. I also give her credit for forming a lifelong bond with her partner Alice Toklas. They were together for 40 years, until her death. In that she was also lucky.
That subject is Gertrude Stein and her circle of friends. The friends include Picasso, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Juan Gris, Matisse, Cezanne, and many, many others. Those people and that time and place fascinate me, and I've read accounts about and by many of them. And I must say that of all those fascinating and talented people, Gertrude seems to me to be the least talented.
On the other hand, it is fascinating to see how far she got with so little going for her. What she had in her favor was a brother who was a brilliant art collector, and the luck of being in the right place at the right time. She had an ego to rival that of Salvador Dali, but not the talent. She helped many young writers, but would usually drop them if they reached a level to be a threat to her professionally. She supported Petain if not because she was a fascist, then at least because it was in her own self-interest to do so. I think her greatest attribute was her personality that many people found profoundly attractive. I also give her credit for forming a lifelong bond with her partner Alice Toklas. They were together for 40 years, until her death. In that she was also lucky.
September 4, 2008
biographers must work tremendously hard for little credit or money. this bio has more detail than i need and yet i enjoyed it. i had to skip many parts cause i wanted to hear the narrative. it reads like a 'whos whos' of early 20th century artists and writers. look at the index in the back and see the many famous people that gertrude and her 40 year partner knew,well. she compares herself to joyce but i think they are totally different. when scholars study joyce they can understand his ULYSSES although i can t say the same for FINNEGAN S WAKE. when scholars study much of gertrude s writing they still can t understand it. in the book she even admits that after she has written something and goes back to read it after months go by,she doesn t understand it. she is the innovative american writer . she experimented with words as scientists experiment with their projects. much of it is boring. i have a tape of her reading a poem wherein she praises picasso and it sounds more lie she is praising napoleon. the repetition reminds one of children s writings.
October 22, 2007
I don't want to like Gertrude Stein, but I can't help it. Her conceit and self-obsession annoy me, but I love the way that it just seems to work for her. I don't like her naivety and total oblivion to the world around her, but at the same time I respect the way that she lives her life exactly the way that she wants to. This book interested me mainly because of the crazy assortment of people that seemed to always flock to her, although I don't really understand why they did. I think that I would've had to have met her in person to fully understand it. She once said "It takes a lot of time to be a genious, you have to sit around so much doing nothing" which I think sums her up nicely. I'd like to say that I think that quote is totally ridiculous and laugh her off, but then again maybe I'm just jealous that she actually pulled it off, and I haven't.... yet!
November 28, 2011
This was a very well written and interesting account of Gertrude Stein's life and relationships with so many famous authors, artists, collectors, and musicians. It gives a pretty interesting picture of life in France between (and during) the world wars as well as communications with America during those times.
It was fascinating to read accounts of such famous icons as Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway, etc.
I finished this book (which has many pictures in it as well) just in time to see an exhibit at the Smithsonian on Gertrude Stein's life. The book and the exhibit together made an excellent and memorable experience!
It was fascinating to read accounts of such famous icons as Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway, etc.
I finished this book (which has many pictures in it as well) just in time to see an exhibit at the Smithsonian on Gertrude Stein's life. The book and the exhibit together made an excellent and memorable experience!
July 26, 2007
Her life was so so so interesting! she one of the first out and proud lesbians of the world, she was friends and the first supporters of Matisse and Picasso, she knew all of the avant garde writers, publishers and artists of france, she had weekly salons in her art filled, Latin Quarter apartment... she was awesome. but this book is so dry and boring and plodding, I couldn't finish it. Definitally read a biography of her, because she's the bomb, but do not read this one.
February 23, 2012
This book was a great biography detailing the life of Gertrude Stein, and also the lives of her friends including Alice Toklas, Ernest Hemingway, and Pablo Picasso. The author, James Mellow, said he wanted to show the tender side of Stein, and he achieved that goal in describing the ways she encouraged and supported young artists and writers, but he was also not reluctant to show her egotistical side to give a more complete portrait of this strong, intelligent, and independent woman.
November 10, 2015
It's good, if you're interested in Gertrude Stein. I am enough. It does a good job of dealing with her life and writing. But, I wouldn't suggest that you rush right out to read it if you're ennhh about her. If you like literary circle stuff and bios, go furth. If not, skip.
July 29, 2015
Extremely interesting biography of Gertrude Stein which outlines the life she built with her partner Alice B. Toklas and her ever-changing circles of friends and admirers. Definitely seems to gloss over some areas of Stein's life, and makes me want to read a more recent biography (if one exists.)
January 4, 2011
It was a fun place to visit. I think everyone should stop by!
Want to read
January 26, 2011Mentioned in The Princessa: Machiavelli for Women by Harriet Rubin.
November 11, 2012
So many famous people move in and out and in and out of this book. What a world this American woman made for herself. It was fun to travel in it.
November 17, 2015
A bit wordy but interesting if you want to learn more about artists and writers of the time.
Read
October 5, 2013couldnt get through this book-boring
March 21, 2015
I read this when I was 20 or so, and it made a huge impression. I have been obsessed with Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas ever since. Highly recommended, admittedly from a distance of 35+ years.
August 30, 2012
Tremendously informative and revealing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews