Gertrude and Alice

by Diana Souhami

Book Overview

Now in paperback: The acclaimed biography of the remarkable relationship between two legendary women--Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas--that was nominated for a Lambda literary award and praised as gossipy fun by Publishers Weekly. 45 photographs.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062509152
• ISBN13: 9780062509154
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Gertrude, the ditz

This is a well written small book that explains things. The puzzle unexplained is why Gertrude stayed in an unpleasantly nazi occupied France and paled around with an obnoxious nazi in order to get favors. Its clear that Alice ruled the roost and didn't want to lose Gertrude. The author debunks Gertrude's unbearable stream-of-conscious form of writing rightly putting it in the class of the emperor's new clothes.

Gertrude & Alice .... the real deal !!

Oh my goodness .. if you've been 'enamored' of Gertrude & Alice for years & years, or are just discovering them .. this is THE story of their lives together. Grab this book before it goes out of print again !!

Gertrude and Alice -- the fun way

I am not a scholar and I am not sure that I would have the patience to read Gertrude "dans le texte". Yet I have a dilettant interest in these women of the first half of this century who seemed to have had a strong influence on the Arts and Litterature (Stein/Toklas, Cones, Sitwells...). I picked up this book by chance off the bookselves of my friends -- Liz and Jeff -- a rainy day by the Delaware River. I not only finished it off but enjoyed it tremenduously. I found the writting interesting, detailled (what a treat to get so many details of that era) and refreshing by its ease of access. Do read this book -- I am now onto other Stein/Toklas books (most certainly Alice's recipes).

Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude, Alice is Alice is...

One of the best dual-bios of these two ladies (and I've read this book both in German and English.) This book makes both of them very real, moving them beyond the literary/lesbian icons that they've become in the last 60+ years. Read this in conjunction with James Mellow's CHARMED CIRCLE and you'll be hooked both on Gertrude and Alice and the artistic era between the two World Wars!

Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude, Alice is Alice is...

Wow, it's been 20 years since Ms. Souhami wrote this book and fortunately it is again in print with this edition which also includes a new introduction by her. The introduction itself is amazing and worth buying another copy of the book even if you already have one. (You can give your other copy to a friend!) This is the best dual-bio of these two ladies (and I've read it both in German and English.) The book makes both of them very real, moving them beyond the literary/lesbian icons that they've become in the last 60+ years. Read this in conjunction with James Mellow's CHARMED CIRCLE (you can still find it online through used book dealers or in many 2nd hand bookstores.) and you'll be hooked both on Gertrude and Alice and the artistic era between the two World Wars!