In Guernica, Pablo had contorted and deconstructed my face to reflect the suffering of the times, and I’d been filled with pride. But these paintings were different. They made me feel raw all over, my nerves exposed and shrinking. Pablo was getting inside of me and recreating me; worse still, he seemed to be doing it with hatred. It was confusing to be portrayed in so many states of disintegration. The portraits were like negative affirmation, prophecies of what I wasn’t yet but would soon become.”
Page 146
In a nutshell
Dora Maar was a photographer, artist and creative genius. But her claim to fame was as Pablo Picasso’s muse – his Weeping Woman. In The Paris Muse, Louisa Treger captures Dora’s story – her complexities, brilliance, troubles and her toxic love story with Picasso that destroyed her.
Book Club Notes
Historical fiction for me has always been a great way to learn about history, the places, times and people. Biographical fiction takes that to the next level by sharing the life of a person who existed. Before picking up The Paris Muse I had never heard the name “Dora Maar” and now I feel like I know her. In speaking with Louisa, I have enormous respect for the thought and research that goes into writing a book like this. The book has a diary-like feel to it, so you feel like it’s Dora sharing her story. I will be honest in that reading the book didn’t endear me to her at all, it was talking to Louisa about the book that did. So if you want more backstory to The Paris Muse read my interview here.
Read If
You enjoy biographical historical fiction, art or want to learn about women, history overlooked.
Rating
Writing – 7/10
Character Development – 5/10
Plot Twist – 5/10
Shareability – 6/10
The Nitty Gritty
Published by: Bloomsbury and distributed in SA by Jonathon Ball
Genre: Fiction, Biography, Historical
ISBD: 978-1-5266-3927-1
Pages: 245
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A note on our book ratings
Storyline: How good is the storyline? Is it believable and complex or does it make you shake your head in its ridiculousness?
Writing: How well written is the book? Do you find yourself wowed by the writing or unimpressed?
Character Development: Do the characters evolve and grow through the book and are they multi-dimensional?
Plot Twist: Were you able to predict the end, or did the author give you some surprises along the way to keep you on your toes?
Shareability: How likely are you to share the book?
