The Artist's Wife

by Max Phillips

Alma Mahler gives up a promising musical career to become a freelance muse as she conquers a series of difficult geniuses. A glittering, darkly sensual novel, The Artist's Wife turns the lens of history upon inspiration, ambition, and love.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Art, Book Club

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Max Phillips has received an Academy of American Poets Prize and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and his stories have appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, the Partisan Review, and the Village Voice, among other publications.

Forrest Devoe Jr. is the pen name of Max Phillips. In addition to cofounding the pulp revival imprint Hard Case Crime, he has authored one of its debut titles, Fade to Blonde, as well as the literary novels The Artist's Wife and Snakebite Sonnet.

He is married and lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

The (mostly) true story of Alma Mahler, the muse to many famous European artists: composer Gustav Mahler, Walter Gropius (founder of Bauhaus), author Franz Werfel, painters Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka.

I found the writing stilted and unmoving. I was as interested in this character as little as Alma Mahler was interested in anything other than herself.

[Simona Moschini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A differenza di tante biografie romanzate e inattendibili che mi sono capitate tra le mani negli anni, questa è dichiaratamente un'autobiografia tanto fittizia quanto ispirata alla lettura dei numerosi diari (scritti con l'inchiostro violetto) di Alma Mahler-Werfel.
Dire che perdevano tutti la testa per lei è riduttivo.
Dire che tutti coloro che per lei fecero follie erano dei geni nei rispettivi campi è la semplice verità.
Dire che lei stessa aveva un certo estro artistico (compose lieder molto tristi e solenni che poco si intonano con il personaggio... li ascoltai al Festivaletteratura in un incontro curato dal fantastico Luca Scarlini) sorprende.

Vale la pena leggerlo per tutti questi motivi e perchè è divertente. Chi poi ama la felix Austria fin-de-siècle, non può perderselo per nessuna ragione.

[Rusty · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1901, Gustav Mahler met Alma Schindler. Described as the most beautiful woman in Vienna, Alma was at first not interested in him because of gossip about him and women who wanted to sing opera. Disagreeing about an Alexander von Zemlinsky ballet, their discussions led to courtship and marriage. When Mahler insisted that there be just one composer in their family, she abandoned her musical interests including composing. While their life was marked at times by passion, without music, the talented Alma rebelled. During 1910, she turned to the architect, Walter Gropius. Learning of the affair, Mahler encouraged resuming her musical activities but it was too late. Nevertheless, she stayed with him beyond his death in 1911 and Mahler dedicated his Eighth Symphony to her.

Alma married Gropius in 1915. Gropuis joined the Army and during his long absences, the lonely Alma found solace with author Franz Werfel, whom she did not marry until 1929. Leaving Austria in 1938 because it was no longer safe for Jews, they eventually moved to Los Angeles and later to New York. Werfel attained earned success in the U.S. with two novels, The Song of Bernadette, and, Star of the Unborn, published after his death.

Like many women of this time, Alma’s talents were often not encouraged nor recognized. Composer, author, editor, and socialite, she was musically active from her early years, composing about fifty songs for voice, piano, and other genres. Just 17 are known to survive. Reveling in artistic stimulation, she invited such individuals into her homes in Vienna, Los Angeles and New York. The author makes Alma so real that I was stimulated to discover more about this amazing individual. She was a woman would certainly fit into today’s society.

[Wendy Johansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not an easy novel to read. Based on actual historical facts about the wife of Mahler and other artists, there was just so much history I am unfamiliar with. Reading this book is quite an intellectual endeavor. I found the plot confusing and difficult to follow. I couldn't relate to Alma Mahler and her self-centered, scandalous turn-of-the-century lifestyle. I've heard of only a few of the plethora of artists that were part of her life. The musical references were beyond me. I expected it to get more interesting to me (it didn't) and I couldn't wait to be done with it. For others my comments no doubt demonstrate my limited knowledge of history.

[Martadellenevi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molto interessante questo libro....
é un lbro che ho letto con il gruppo di lettura della biblioteca che frequento.
E' la prima volta che mi avventuro in questa autobiografia immaginaria, eppure molto reale.
Il libro parla di Alma Mahler, un icona che con il suo fascino, la sua passionalità e il suo anticonformismo ha saputo ispirare alcune fra le più grandi menti del Novecento.
Alma diventa una grande musa, e la sua vita un amalgama indissolubile di sentimento e genio.
E' la voce ferma, ironica e spietata di Alma stessa, immaginata da Max Phillips che, ormai morta, ci racconta il suo turbinoso passato e riconsidera le proprie scelte: l'infanzia nell'impero austro-ungarico in disfacimento, l'ascesa nel bel mondo mitteleuropeo, le tribolazioni dei tre matrimoni e la morte dei suoi figli, la fuga da Hitler e l'esilio dorato in America.
Un esistenza straordinaria, che ha conosciuto povertà e ricchezza, è passata dalla celebrità all'isolamento degli ultimi anni, gli unici che Alma ha trascorso in solitudine, accompagnata soltanto dalle presenze del suo passato.

"Un romanzo irresistibile. MI sembra ancora di sentire la voce di Alma Mahler: seducente, spassosa, irritante, commovente fino a spezzarti il cuore."

Tratto dal libro:

"Ero terribilmente interessata a me stessa, quando ero in vita. Ma ora la mia vecchia me, i miei vecchi mariti, i vecchi figli, ora sembriamo tutti poco trasparenti, come fantasmi, o astrazioni, come dati e cifre. E talmente rumorosi: quanto baccano facevamo sempre. Vi dirò: guardarci dovrebbe essere divertente.
Forse è solo questo che volete: un po' di divertimento.
A ogni modo non mi spiace di raccontare la mia storia.
A nessuno di noi, qui, spiace più qualcosa."

[Punk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical Fiction. Alma Mahler's story starts in turn-of-the-century Vienna and ends in post-WWII Hollywood. In between she travels around Europe and is rich and spoiled and has some kids and some husbands and some lovers and composes some music and inspires some artists. She's selfish and cruel and not very sympathetic at all.

Alma's story didn't interest me, but it was written well and told by her after her death so there was a slight sniff of first person omniscient about it, which was interesting.

Three stars. It would have been two, but the writing could be unexpectedly playful and gives this an extra star. One of my favorite sentences: "He went around with his face turned up to the sun, like a seal balancing a ball on its nose."

[Sue Myers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical fiction about Anna Schindler, wife of Gustav Mahler, and several others. She was pretty wild-3 marriages, several abortions, 4 children to different husbands. Lived in the late 1880's through WWII. Lived in Vienna and then fled the Nazis with her Jewish husband to California. Tough book to read, kind of like mystical realism, which I hate! Should have known better..purchased for $1 at a book sale.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the omniscient voice, and what a crual woman she was. An interesting way of writing historical fiction, it made her very immediate and her life choices rather weird. Could this woman really have been so powerful and feted if she was as self serving as she portrays herself? Loved all the Viennese background.

[Catherine Byers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read about this book while listening to a Great Course on Gustav Mahler. I guess great big personalities attract other big personalities. And Alma fit the bill. Likable, she is not. She was a handful. But the book gives a good snapshot of the world and time in which she lived. This was not a great book, but I am not sorry I read it.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taken from an artist point of view, innovating book on the non-fiction life of a composer, Gustave Mahler. A great story between music, and life under communist regime, with a true love whom he admired. Great story.

[Markets2006 Wahl]

The artists wife wanted be a lover and corepetitior and became a housewife though she mentioned being half deaf after a measles infection was a peculiar way to become a musician and componist. We think the absolute "Gehör" is defining a sound as a note in dur and moll.

[mary elizabeth Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would not recommend it. Its about Alma Mahler, so I was interested, but it could not keep my attention. Just watch Bride of the Wind instead.

[Margery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at Vienna, central Europe during the end of the Hapsburg empire. Found Alma very shallow and self centered. Interesting look at all her husbands, lovers.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

so good. not for everyone..but i really enjoyed it.

[Martha]

I guess this book is well-written enough, but I am finding the main character so repellent and insensitive to her own character flaws that I am not enjoying the story.

[nikkia neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best biography's are like this book. I wish I could find more biographies this good.