Like CAROLINE OTERO,MISIA SERT and a few others,ALMA MAHLER came to symbolize the emerging power of women in the arts,at least in terms of the influence they had over their famous husbands.What FRANCOISE GIROUD tried to establish with that book,is that GUSTAV MAHLER gradually destroyed his wife's personnality.We've come a long way since then,but back then,it was almost impossible for a woman to made a name for herself ,even if she had a strong personnality.It was simply put a man's world,and FRANCOISE GIROUD in a true feminist way has found herself a good subject with the love affair between the composer and ALMA.I enjoyed reading this a lot.It's actually not a so called biography,more an essay about love and the way it can alter your life.