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Liked It2 of 2 members found this review helpful “One of the most entertaining memoirs ever written. It’s irresistible, wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, and the most cheerily ironic bit of self-promotion you’ll ever come across. It provides a fascinating, fairy-tale entrée into the amazing world of 27 rue de Fleurus, where it appears the 20th...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Blah. Not a fan. And no one that I read it with seemed as though they were either.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Gertrude Stein writes about a life that was hers as she lived so closely to Alice Toklas, her companion.”
JuneF wrote this review Thursday, November 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“JCU selection”
Krystine S wrote this review Tuesday, August 25 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Blah. Not a fan. And no one that I read it with seemed as though they were either.”
Katie S wrote this review Monday, June 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is one of the more readable of Steins works. Written from the viewpoint of her long time companion Alice Toklas, Stein tells of their life in Paris at the beginning of the art revolution of “cubism”. The stories of artists Picasso and Matisse are interesting since this is before they become famous. They also entertained writers such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Her writing style apparently is supposed to reflect the new “art” in writing form-- not so much in what is written but in the sounds and placement of the words. Interesting, but somewhat difficult in that Stein didn’t really believe in commas.
Brookings Public Library wrote this review Tuesday, March 24 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
818.82 STE”
“There's a subtle vein of humor in this book. It runs through like an inside joke. Stein talking about Stein once removed. And what she has to say is a plain, stream-of-consciousness account of their life together from heady days as a salon to the art elite (like Picasso) through WWII and the more settled years as writer/wise woman.
Writer_Builder_Nomad wrote this review Wednesday, March 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Sometimes I enjoyed this. Some of the blunt observations were amusing. Other times it seemed like the name dropping for dozens and dozens of pages with no end in sight and no depth.
What I do know is Gertrude Stein was a fascinating woman, and that fascination came mostly from a bright and bold personality. Her conversation charmed people. Her writing did not. It was interesting to imagine sitting in her parlor.”
“This is, undoubtedly, Stein's most accessible book, and the one I recommend to people (along with her _Three Lives_). Obviously, the book ends up being mostly about Gertrude...Stein's experiments in writing make her what I have come to think as the cubist of literature. Once you get used to her style, I think you can truly enjoy her work. It does require a person to pay attention (which is a good thing I suppose).”
muque and shylock tomes wrote this review Thursday, May 22 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Stein led a very interesting life, and her writing style seems to be as non-mainstream as she was. A little Stein goes a long way.”
Mindy H wrote this review Saturday, March 8 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No2 of 2 members found this review helpful“One of the most entertaining memoirs ever written. It’s irresistible, wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, and the most cheerily ironic bit of self-promotion you’ll ever come across. It provides a fascinating, fairy-tale entrée into the amazing world of 27 rue de Fleurus, where it appears the 20th century was born. ”
Lord Manleigh wrote this review Thursday, November 29 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
