The Lives of the Muses by Francine Prose

The Lives of the Muses by Francine Prose

To be a muse to a celebrated artist is surely one of the most flattering roles a person can have. But what is the life of a muse really like? In this spirited (and provocative) expose of nine women who fired the imaginations of some of the most inimitable artists and thinkers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Francine Prose draws on photographs, diaries, correspondence, memoirs, and original works of art that reveal the complexity of these artist-muse relationships and illustrate the muse in all her guises: as inspiration, angel, equal partner and, sometimes, monster. The nine muses are: Hester Thrale (Samuel Johnson), Alice Liddell (Lewis Carroll), Elizabeth Siddal (Dante Gabriel Rossetti). Lou-Andreas-Salomé (Nietzsche, Rilke and Freud), Gala Dalí   (Salvador Dalí ), Lee Miller (Man Ray), Charis Weston (Edward Weston), Suzanne Farrell (George Balanchine) and Yoko Ono (John Lennon).

'Smart, sympathetic, and keenly observed'

'The subject is one of endless fascination'

'Racy, pithy.. a delight'

'A joy to read'

'Racy, pithy... a delight'

'Polished and pleasurable'

'The subject is one of endless fascination'

'Smart, sympathetic, and keenly observed'

Francine Prose is the author of fourteen works of fiction, including Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award, and of the non-fiction writing guide, Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them, published by Aurum. A distinguished critic and essayist, she has taught literature and writing for more than twenty years at several major universities. She lives in New York City.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781908526434
ISBN 10	1908526432
Title	The Lives of the Muses
Author	Francine Prose
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Quarto Publishing PLC
Year published	2013-09-26
Number of pages	432
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.