This is a wonderful book, full of beautiful b/w images of dora, her photography/art and Picasso's work of her and more! It is really worth getting for your book collection, especially at this price, and it gives you an insight to Dora's life, I think she is fascinating woman living in a time when most photographer's were men. She is truely a pioneer and deserves more credit than being known as Picasso's muse. Very inspiring book.

Of some of Dora's photographs, and self portraits are a must have for any Dora fan. It shows her in her later years, it shows her paintings, it goes into detail about her love affair with Picasso as well. This is easily my favorite Dora book.

I would recommend this book to everybody. I am so delighted I purchased this book. It includes everything you need to know about Dora - her personal life before, during and after Picasso. I have always been interested in Picasso and by studying his life, I noticed all the fascinating women in his life. In my opinion, Dora was the one who made a big difference and who had a huge influence on him. Although it was Francoise Gilot, another woman in Picasso's life who gave him two children. Dora's own career and life as an artist (photographer, model, painter) is described in this book from the time she moved to Paris and tried to establish herself as a photographer.

You will not only find Picasso's portraits and drawings of Dora but Dora's own work (a lot of black & white photos taken by her that remind me of Man Ray's work). She truly was a talented artist. This is not often mentioned. Most of the people saw her mainly as Picasso's model and Muse. Dora was a very complex person full of emotions. She could be very dramatic in the way she looked and dressed. This all is revealed in this book. As I said, it has it all: Dora as a private person (Theodora M.) and Dora as an artist, the famous and remarkable Dora Maar. Trust me, with this book, you will get all the information you need. I consider this book a piece of art.

Unfortunately, Rene Char is not as widely known as he should be. It would be insufficient to merely deem him a surrealist or an incarnation of Rimbaud's genius,so it must be known that his world of poetry is slightly beyond any established form or category. His poems combine nature, beauty, and absurdity, to the point where distinctions decline and sentences seemingly tremble with their newfound power. In many lines of his poems, the disorder present in all minds makes its presence known and by some strange beauteous force, what one is resolved to call confusion, Char, creates, or rather uncovers as an inherent recognition.

Though highly respected by the International Avant Garde, Rene Char's poetry is not as widely available in English translation as it should be. Part of this is probably due to a reputation for obscurity or difficulty. But, as this volume shows this, has been exagerated. There are many poems of amazing simplicity - not to mention beauty. As this selection contains poems from all periods of Char's life one is able to make a full assessment.

Char wrote mainly prose poems and free verse. He had a gift for imagery that is often conveyed lyrically, though this is fractured by occasional violence. Many also have a zen-like simplicity and compression. This is especially so in nature poems such as "the Swift" or "the First Moments" . This violence is often elemental but also revalatory. This makes for an interesting contrast with the English poet, Ted Hughes. Except Char believes that human beings should engage with nature both by being friend and opponent rather than just resigning to it.

Char's vision is essentially that of the great Tao, or the Unknown as he calls it. He sums this up with the phrase "How can we live without the unknown before us?" This also appears in many of his very sensual love/muse poems. As with Graves, connection with women has an almost mystical significance for Char. There is a particularly beautiful prose piece about an encounter with a woman on the Paris Metro. This, to him is confirmation that he is in full connection with reality at that moment. A confirmation of his strong sense of vocation.

The translations are placed along side the French originals. For readers with some French this will help navigate some of Char's difficulties of phrase. For those with no French, the translations are usually good in their own right, some outstanding. Perhaps predictably the best of these are by outstanding poets in their own right such as James Wright, WS Merwin and William Carlos Willaims. But all give a good flavour of the this great poet and none are bad.

This collection is essential for all those curious about Char. A voice with much to say in our time who deserves wider circulation amongst English readers.

Mary Ann Caws, with her unique gift for drawing the reader willingly into her discoveries, is an invaluable scholar of Surrealism. In clear language, she unfolds and expands for us the imaginative realm of this man, who must be the most hilarious, poignant, and plain-spoken of the Surrealist poets. In Caws's hands, Desnos's unique brand of black humor--dare we say gallows optimism--is rendered all the more poignant by his use of it as a form of resistance against the Nazis, and ultimately in the face of his own death. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Desnos, and for all readers who, whether or not they like "poetry" (this is not the poetry that they pushed on you in school), are looking for a romantic vision that is not sappy, and who want to find a heroic figure that is credible in our modern era.

this is the only critical work on desnos in english to date. highly recommended for anyone interested in studying this amazing poet. caws goes into detail about desnos' symbols and language, and provides a good collection of the various periods of desnos' work both in poetry and prose.

This delightful little volume is a compilation of articles written for American troops bound for France in World War One. While their effect on the average doughboy may be questionable, they give a powerful and invaluable insight into one of the most perceptive minds of the age.
Wharton, in her most engaging and always readable style, discusses First Impressions, and examines issues of Reverence, Taste, Intellectual Honesty, and Continuity, and, in her essay on the New Frenchwoman, reveals perhaps more about herself than her subjects.
Highly recommended as a fine introduction to the author.

(The numerical rating above is an ineradicable default setting within the format of the site. This reviewer does nor employ numerical ratings).

I had this book as a textbook for my World Literature class, and I can tell you - this is a very good book for studies. It's got a good collection of authors in a broad area of ages and cultures.

Andre Breton's Mad Love is truly a work of art.Written in a surrealist manner it celebrates love and lovers. It finds beauty in such ordinary things such as iron masks, spoons, and trees. Never has there been another book that promotes romanticism such as this. Bravo Breton! You have made me proud to be a person in a monogomous relationship. It is a true celebration of the heart and of the soul.

This collection of essays concerning the prose poem is indispensable for any academic research on the subject. The prose poem finds its origins in France and, therefore, any study in any language in the genre must begin here. The world's most renowned critics (Todorov, Riffaterre, Lawler to name a few) debate over its legitimacy and explore its practice.

Motherwell was an articulate voice in this period of American non-objective painting...Motherwell was more literate than most of the artist of the New York School and therefore he went much further in bring out influence, inspiration and what he calls "Psychic Automotism". This is the automatic writing/drawing that the surrealist introduced as a means to tap into the subconcious wealth of material in the artist. This book is very good at exploring the mind of the artist. Of particular value are the comments made by Motherwell that are found throughout the book next to the beautiful reproductions. I also found the interveiw at the end of the book with Motherwell very interesting. Dore Ashton provides an informed reflection on the artist and Arnason's extended text goes far to follow the major themes and subjects of the painters life- The Elegies, Open Paintings, Wall paintings ,collages and Works on paper. Even attention to the Je'tem Paintings and his Ocher peices. I recommend this grand book to anyone who loves Motherwell's work. His was a sublime acheivement in the important mid century of American painting. Buy the book new- it is far and away cheaper than any of the used copies...

This offers in startling detail the great French poets works in their variety.From the beautiful & exquisite lyricism of "Herodiade" to the vivid cathartic experience of "Igitur" & finally to the innovative & experimental "Dice Thrown Never Will Annul Chance".This also contains of course his impressionist masterpiece "The Afternoon Of A Faun".Together with the bizarre & self-revelatory letters & prose poems the work offers a good representation of this masterful man & poet.