Stein's most famous work; one of the richest and most irreverent biographies ever written.
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (Modern Library)
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"Largely to amuse herself, [ Gertrude Stein ] wrote The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas in 1932...using as a sounding board her companion Miss Toklas, who had been with her for twenty-five years. It has been said that the writing takes on very much Miss Toklas' conversational style, and while this is true the style is still a variant of Miss Stein's conversation style. ...She usually insisted that writing is an entirely different thing from talking, and it is part of the miracle of this little scheme of objectification that she could by way of imitating Miss Toklas put in writing something of her own beautiful conversation. So that, aside from making a real present of her past, she created a figure of herself, established an identity a twin, a Doppelganger.... The book is full of the most lucid and shapely anecdotes, told in a purer and more closely fitting prose... than even Gide or Hemingway have ever commanded .... "
-- Donald Sutherland
"... The record of nearly thirty years of life in a fantastically changing Paris and else where -- a life passed in the most stimulating and important society."
-- Louis Bromfield
"... One of the richest, wittiest, and most irreverent [biographies] ever written."
-- William Troy
-- Donald Sutherland
"... The record of nearly thirty years of life in a fantastically changing Paris and else where -- a life passed in the most stimulating and important society."
-- Louis Bromfield
"... One of the richest, wittiest, and most irreverent [biographies] ever written."
-- William Troy
From the Inside Flap
Stein's most famous work; one of the richest and most irreverent biographies ever written.
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105 of 108 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps The Single Most Elaborate Joke In The History of Literature
December 29, 2005
Format:Paperback
Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) is a singularly problematic writer whose work is very difficult to describe. In 1902 Stein moved to France and spent most of her adult life in that country; upon arriving she was quickly caught up in the Paris arts scene and soon became one of the earliest champions of such artists as Picasso and Matisse. Under their influence, Stein sought to translate the various arts movements and styles that swirled around her into literary forms.
The result was an incredibly idiosyncratic body of work in which Stein tended to use language for the sake of language. Often described as stream of conciousness, Stein's work tends to divide readers and critics. Some greatly admire Stein; an equal number consider her a non-talent with a gift for self-promotion. Whatever the case, her writings proved unexpectedly influential in "high art" circles.
Stein, a lesbian, met Alice B. Toklas about 1907, and the two remained a couple until Stein's death. Those who knew Toklas through Stein's numerous social events describe her as a small, ordinary woman with a tendency to fade into the background; in a world made up of artists and their wives, Stein played the role of artist and Toklas played wife.
Published in 1933, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS is often described as Stein's "most widely accessible" work. That is true only in the sense that Stein generally writes in a linear style and without the obvious word-games to which she was prone; the book is not typical of her work in either respect. On the other hand, it is extremely typical of Stein in terms of concept. The book is essentially a view of Stein's world as it might have been described by the uncritical Toklas, presented in her voice and related in terms of what Toklas herself might have found most interesting.
Stein herself seems to have regarded AUTOBIOGRAPHY as an elaborate literary prank written to amuse herself and those who moved through in circle, and the nature of that prank should be obvious from the title and authorship. Clearly, one person cannot write the autobiography of another, and while it might be reasonable to describe the book as the autobiography of Gertrude Stein the fact that it is filtered through Toklas' personality does not quite allow for that either.
Whatever the case, AUTOBIOGRAPHY is a deliberately superficial work. Throughout the book Toklas describes Gertrude Stein as a great genius--but it is Stein, not Toklas, who writes, and so we really learn nothing on this point. The same is true of the many other names that swirled through Stein's life: Stein could have told a great deal and frequently hints as much--but the Toklas mask knows nothing about artists and art is consequently a great deal more interested in the hats worn to the party than in the people who wore them.
If all of this sounds complicated, it is, and it begs all sorts of questions about what is fact, what is fiction, how much is accurately Toklas, and--most particularly--the fundamental nature of Stein's body of work as a whole. Was she really the genius that she proclaimed herself to be? Or was her proclamation a deliberate joke? Should her works be regarded as innovative masterpieces or was she a literary prankster? If the latter, does the marked succcess of these pranks actually grant her some claim to genius after all?
Beats me, and I'm hardly alone in that response. Critics have argued about all this and more for decades and will likely continue to do so for decades more. I will say this: while I rather like Stein in limited doses, I do not recommend her to the casual reader. Taken cold, her work is more likely to frustrate and annoy than fascinate and inspire. If you are determined to read Stein, you really should read a fair amount about her first--and in the case of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS you would do well to have a solid working knowledge of early 20th Century art as well.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
In Memory of James and Shamsi Hyre
Killed 29 August 2005 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
By Hurricane Katrina
The result was an incredibly idiosyncratic body of work in which Stein tended to use language for the sake of language. Often described as stream of conciousness, Stein's work tends to divide readers and critics. Some greatly admire Stein; an equal number consider her a non-talent with a gift for self-promotion. Whatever the case, her writings proved unexpectedly influential in "high art" circles.
Stein, a lesbian, met Alice B. Toklas about 1907, and the two remained a couple until Stein's death. Those who knew Toklas through Stein's numerous social events describe her as a small, ordinary woman with a tendency to fade into the background; in a world made up of artists and their wives, Stein played the role of artist and Toklas played wife.
Published in 1933, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS is often described as Stein's "most widely accessible" work. That is true only in the sense that Stein generally writes in a linear style and without the obvious word-games to which she was prone; the book is not typical of her work in either respect. On the other hand, it is extremely typical of Stein in terms of concept. The book is essentially a view of Stein's world as it might have been described by the uncritical Toklas, presented in her voice and related in terms of what Toklas herself might have found most interesting.
Stein herself seems to have regarded AUTOBIOGRAPHY as an elaborate literary prank written to amuse herself and those who moved through in circle, and the nature of that prank should be obvious from the title and authorship. Clearly, one person cannot write the autobiography of another, and while it might be reasonable to describe the book as the autobiography of Gertrude Stein the fact that it is filtered through Toklas' personality does not quite allow for that either.
Whatever the case, AUTOBIOGRAPHY is a deliberately superficial work. Throughout the book Toklas describes Gertrude Stein as a great genius--but it is Stein, not Toklas, who writes, and so we really learn nothing on this point. The same is true of the many other names that swirled through Stein's life: Stein could have told a great deal and frequently hints as much--but the Toklas mask knows nothing about artists and art is consequently a great deal more interested in the hats worn to the party than in the people who wore them.
If all of this sounds complicated, it is, and it begs all sorts of questions about what is fact, what is fiction, how much is accurately Toklas, and--most particularly--the fundamental nature of Stein's body of work as a whole. Was she really the genius that she proclaimed herself to be? Or was her proclamation a deliberate joke? Should her works be regarded as innovative masterpieces or was she a literary prankster? If the latter, does the marked succcess of these pranks actually grant her some claim to genius after all?
Beats me, and I'm hardly alone in that response. Critics have argued about all this and more for decades and will likely continue to do so for decades more. I will say this: while I rather like Stein in limited doses, I do not recommend her to the casual reader. Taken cold, her work is more likely to frustrate and annoy than fascinate and inspire. If you are determined to read Stein, you really should read a fair amount about her first--and in the case of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS you would do well to have a solid working knowledge of early 20th Century art as well.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
In Memory of James and Shamsi Hyre
Killed 29 August 2005 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
By Hurricane Katrina
35 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas" made Gertrude Stein a household name in America in the 1930s, and for good reason. This is Stein at her most accessible and I must highly suggest it for any first-time readers of this literary genius. The book has a light, breezy tone, interesting subject matter (Picasso & various renowned artists pop up throughout), and Stein's trademark intellectual brilliance. The device of using Toklas as an approach to Stein's life is certainly interesting and is responsible for some of the most entertaining passages. And this book is certainly entertaining, thanks to Stein's supreme wit and her clever descriptions of the people she interacts with and situations she finds herself in. I highly recommend this book, especially for those who haven't read Stein before. Her vivacity, wit, intelligence and skill are on display here in an accessible, classic work.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Gertrude Stein's playful and witty story of her life with Alice Toklas (told via the life story of Alice) chronicles nearly thirty years, up to 1932. Crackling with energy and zest, the story unfolds like conversation at a party where Picasso, Hemingway, Matisse, and others are in attendance, and the reader is introduced to them all in succession. Documenting not only their exciting life together, the book also takes us through the dangers of World War 1, as well as detailing Stein's writing activities. Ultimately, it is Gertrude Stein herself who shines throughout the book, through the lens of Toklas, and it is this portrait crisp and alive that makes this the most well-known of her works.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
I Was Expecting More
I certainly was aware of Gertrude Stein and her fabulous Art Collection and life in Paris and for that reason I was anxious to read the book but was actually disappointed in the... Read more
Published 17 days ago by CT
4.0 out of 5 stars
entertaining
Very entertaining book about Stein and the time she lived in Paris France. Very interesting and full of details on the artists living in Paris in the 1920s.
Published 1 month ago by Boyd Leuenberger
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great!
Anyone interesting in art history, Stein, Paris, and the 1920's should read this book. Few books can give you a sense of life in Paris and the development of Modern Art.
Published 2 months ago by Alexis Pajares
5.0 out of 5 stars
But you have to love it for what it is
This is NOT great literature, but it is a very interesting autobiography/account of Gertrude Stein and her goings on while an exPat. Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Lippert
4.0 out of 5 stars
Alice and her life
I am working my way thru this, but have so many books going that I have not finished it. The time of book, the characters, the situations are amazing. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Patricia
3.0 out of 5 stars
Alice B Tolkin
Interesting book, a good insight into the life and times. I always wanted to read this Autobiography, and I was not dissapointed, interesting the prose is different style to what... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. Nuala Mc Carthy
2.0 out of 5 stars
Name-Dropping Extravaganza
Was looking forward to learning more about Paris and its denizens of the 20s and 30s but all Gertrude gives us is a bunch of names without much in the way of memorable stories... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Goat
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lacking in grammar; abundant in gossip
Gertrude Stein never met a punctuation mark she liked. She never met a sentence she could live with. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Blue State Max
3.0 out of 5 stars
book review autobiography of alice b toklas
interesting book....told by gertrude stein about her lesbian lover ..very exotic setting in Paris..lots of anecdotal encounters with great artists in the beginning of their... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Marbles
5.0 out of 5 stars
Toklas Book
This book was an old favorite from college. I had let someone borrow my copy and it never returned. I consider it a necessity for anyone who has an art collection or loves art. Read more
Published 18 months ago by mbondsart
