The Lives of the Muses : Nine Women & the Artists They Inspired

Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant, Provocative and Delightful Book
Review: "Muse" is a concept that brings to mind lovely women inspiring incredible works of art, literature and philosophy. The nine Greek muses embodied a liminal space somewhere between the realm of humans and the realm of gods. But what about those famous (and infamous) human muses who have inspired the creative works of some of the most revered artists? In THE LIVES OF THE MUSES, Francine Prose explores the idea of the mortal muses and the artists who relied on them. She asks questions about their own creative impulses and their identities, both in relation to their artists and alone.

Prose examines nine muses, some obvious in their muse-hood such as Suzanne Farrell and Alice Liddell and other controversial figures like Gala Dali and Yoko Ono. Several are tragic figures and several are quite mysterious. And all have a unique and interesting biography, beautifully and honestly rendered by Prose. Prose's exploration of these nine muses is arranged in roughly chronological order. Each section gives readers insight into the life of the muse and the man (or men) she inspired. And each tale raises new and often difficult questions: Must a muse always be a woman? Must the muse always inspire a man? Is the muse's role active or passive? Does it always have a sexual component? And can a muse successfully maintain her own artistic identity and remain a muse?

THE LIVES OF THE MUSES begins with Hester Thrale, muse of English writer Samuel Johnson. An intelligent and outspoken woman, Thrale was married to another man, yet was a companion of Johnson for many decades. While it is unclear whether or not their relationship was sexual, it was intellectually passionate and for many years she acted as his caretaker. Their witty exchanges were famous and his letters to her reveal an emotional dependency and a creative debt. Their friendship was all but ruined when, after being widowed, she married another man Johnson did not approve of. Thrale is a prime example of a muse intellectually equal to her artist; in fact, she was an accomplished writer herself.

Other muses discussed by Prose are a bit more problematic. Take for instance Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND. There is much speculation about the relationship between this little girl and this grown man. Prose is mostly concerned, however, with how Liddell functioned as a muse; in what ways she inspired and encouraged. The case of Alice Liddell raises questions about whether or not the artist always sees (or appreciates) the muse for who she really is as a person. The relationship between painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his wife Elizabeth Siddal demonstrates that the muse often loses her own identity in the one that the artist (and thus the audience) assigns her.

Each of the nine woman examined in this wonderfully written book is interesting on her own. But collected together, their stories and lives speak to larger and more philosophical themes. Prose does a good job of not letting the subject get away from her. The book is focused and well crafted, posing interesting questions and suggesting (though not insisting on) thoughtful answers. THE LIVES OF THE MUSES is so readable, entertaining and original it is truly hard to put down.

Not quite biography, not quite gender studies or philosophy, but something unique and enjoyable, Prose's delightful book will satisfy readers of all tastes. Prose will have readers rethinking the concept of "muse" altogether.

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Rating:
Summary: More Biography than Philosophy
Review: I almost didnt buy this book. There were mixed reviews and the general tone of the negative reviews were that the book was superficial or possibly inaccurate. Well I bought the book in spite of those warnings. I am very glad I did. To begin with Prose has done an outstanding job of weaving together 9 separate and unique lives. She does not claim to have written the definitive work on artisitic influence or motivation. She did not claim to corner the market on thoughts of Eros and Art. What she did was describe nine woman and the artists they inspired. It was clear from her references and asides that she had done research on far more than these women. She freely borrowed from other muses and interests in other relationships and wove together not only nine separate stories but craftily connected them into a thread that takes us from the most simple and reticent muse -- Alice Liddell to a modern woman artist whose own identity and influence is lost in the artist and his in hers, not always in a positive way -- Yoko Ono. I found that Prose walks briskly through each life but also is telling us a greater story. A story of feminine influnce and the evolving way women have been viewed as muses, lovers, artists and people. Often I stopped to examine or reexamine an artist or their work. As Prose open a new semiotic eye on a work, not from the reader's perspective of the work, but from the artist's perspective and intent. Not so much to say what the artist was trying to describe to the viewer, but why he was creating it at all. I can't say if Prose' work is accurate or inaccurate. I dont know enough of these lives. I do know that I have a new perspective on some of the artists and a desire to learn more of these women and their influence. Buy it and read it.

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Summary: the lives of the muses
Review: If you are looking for a source in 19th and 20th century history don't bother. Francine Prose left one thing out. How did the muse inspire their artist? This book is packed with too much second hand history, no timeline and no focus on the muse herself. All I found written; a bunch of petty people with petty little lives with no focus on their art. This is one book that will not live on my bookshelf.

Rating:
Summary: Evocative, provocative vignettes of fascinating women
Review: In "The Lives of the Muses," Francine Prose uses 9 brief biographical vignettes to explore what it means to be a great man's muse. She shows how the role of muse has evolved along with women's societal roles, and how intense artist-muse relationships, marked by longing and obsession, take their toll on muse and artist alike. The women, and their relationships with the men they helped make famous, are so diverse that at times the book is a bit disjointed, but overall it succeeds well. Prose is hardly an unbiased observer; it is clear what she thinks of each of her subjects, and her opinionated stance makes an interesting subject that much more lively.

Rating:
Summary: Francine's winning prose makes for a fun read
Review: In 'The Lives of the Muses' Prose examines the lives of nine muses, working her way chronologically from Hester Thrale (Samuel Johnson's muse) to Yoko Ono (who really gets an unfair-- but amusingly so-- treatment here, Prose lets her hatred get the best of her). This format serves to illustrate Prose's thesis that muses, while having some essential things in common, are unique (there is no such thing as an 'ideal' or 'typical' muse), a product of their time, and that each era gets the muse it deserves. She also examines the ways in which these women dealt with being an artist's muse, a role that can often be troubling, causing much pain to both parties.

Prose's subtle wit and acute observational skills make this an engaging book-- her writing doesn't get bogged down in the long-windedness and academic terminology that makes so many studies of this type unenjoyable. It's easy to read, without sacrificing any of its intelligence. This is a fun book, full of real-life stories with all the (melo)drama of a soap opera, but you won't feel guilty for reading it. If there are some factual errors, inaccuracy in the name of a "good story" is alright by me, although Prose really should have a note or disclaimer stating as much.

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Summary: Discovering What it Means to be a Muse
Review: THE LIVES OF THE MUSES examines how eight women (Hester Thrale, Elizabeth Siddal, Lou Andreas-Salome, Gala Dali, Lee Miller, Charis Weston, Suzanne Farrell, and Yoko Ono) and one little girl (Alice Liddell) provided essential inspiration to their artist companions. While artistic inspiration can come from many sources (music, fasting, prayer, meditation, romantic love), Francine Prose's book examines the romantic kind of artistic inspiration which arises between men and women -- with men typically playing the role of artist to the woman's role of muse.

And who, exactly, is a muse? Francine Prose writes, "The muse is often that person with whom the artist has the animated imaginary conversations, the interior dialogues we all conduct, most commonly with someone we cannot get out of our minds." Francine Prose delves into some of the most intimate details of the muses' and artists' sexual lives, yet never loses touch with the vision of her book as a guidepost to better understanding the art of being a muse. While muses are chosen by artists, and therefore seemingly have no ability to chart muse-dom as a career path for themselves, they appear to share certain qualities with one another. For one thing, many muses have been intensely disliked by their contemporaries -- perhaps because people can intuitively sense that there is an unusually strong bond of love between an artist and his muse.

If the subject of this book at times makes one feel uncomfortable, that is no doubt due to the fact that the interaction between artists and muses take people to the very greatest emotional heights and depths. The passions felt between artists and their muses are so tremendous that they sometimes provoke people's behavior to go completely out-of-control... yet these same passions present artists with some of their greatest sources of inspiration. Francine Prose's extraordinary book, THE LIVES OF THE MUSES, shows us a unique vision of how artists' lives are shaped and driven by the love and inspiration of their muses. It is the gift of the muse to offer her artist "that rare and precious spark ignited by genius and passion."

Rating:
Summary: Discombobulated
Review: The writer assumes that the reader is familiar with the artists and their muses. Mentions Dodgson and Carroll in the same sentence without saying they are the same person; the village of Cadaques without indicating which country it's in,etc. The chapters follow no timeline, jumping back and forth, describing events that preceed something previously mentioned. I mistakenly thought it was biographic, but there is a lot of the author's opinions and impressions in the text, guiding the reader (The careful reader will note that...), so that they arrive to her same conclusion. May be enjoyable by someone who already knows the protagonists' lives but not for someone trying to learn something for the first time.

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Summary: The "Low" Lives of the Muses
Review: This book sells because its claim to fame hinges on the juicy account of the lives of 9 femme fatale who purportedly launched the careers many great men in history. This book sucks precisely because these "juicy" accounts teetered toward tacky sensationalism; the writing no more refined than tabloid-style prose; and the manner in which the author attempted to connect the unconnected lives in a bid to justify the publication of the title was incoherent and done with poor taste. The book is an eye sore and an abomination...avoid it at any cost.

Rating:
Summary: A-musing, but alas, not true.
Review: Though Francine Prose's treatments of the nine women she has selected to call 'muses' make great reading, she has, in at least one case, preferenced a 'good story' over truth, scrambled some facts, misstated others, and based much of her information on the biased projections of previous biographers. If this is true for one, it casts doubts over the accuracy of her information for all. Prose is a gifted writer, yet, sadly, she negates the woman each time she choses to use the provocative, juicy, handed-down opinions of those previously determined to 'protect' the artist from the supposed femme fatale. Keeping these women safely tucked away as 'muses,' is a step backwards -- a lost opportunity to truly do justice to the separate lives and achievements of these remarkable women.