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the Complete Review
the complete review - biography



The Autobiography of
Alice B. Toklas


by
Gertrude Stein


general information | our review | links | about the author

To purchase The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas



Title: The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
Author: Gertrude Stein
Genre: (Auto)Biography
Written: 1932
Length: 264 pages
Availability: The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas - US
Also in: Writings 1903-1932 - US (recommended)
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas - UK
Also in: Writings 1903-1932 - UK (recommended)
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas - Canada
Autobiographie d'Alice Toklas - France
Autobiographie von Alice B. Toklas - Deutschland
  • Available in Writings 1903-1932 (see our review).

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Our Assessment:

B+ : gossipy, but an interesting portrait of the times

See our review for fuller assessment.




The complete review's Review:

       Written in a mere six week, Gertrude Stein's The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas is an entertaining document. Written on behalf of Toklas (much as Defoe did for Robinson Crusoe, Stein suggests), the book is certainly as much about Stein as Toklas. While avoiding most mentions of true intimacy, Toklas is presented as a close and keen observer of Stein and her influence in Paris.
       Supremely self-assured, and convinced of her own genius Stein pulls off this neat feat of being center stage in an autobiography in which the first-person narrator (Alice B.) humbly defers to her. It is fun. Centered on the time that Stein spent in Paris, the autobiography does also fill in some of the details of Stein's youth (as well as a Toklas' origins). It provides a useful, if not entirely reliable, overview of Stein's life.
       Once Toklas joins Stein in France the focus is very much on who Stein knows and what role she plays among the artists of the day. The name-dropping and gossip amuse, because these are big and important names and Stein does give us unexpected glimpses of them. However, there is not that much depth to her account -- well and breezily related, it still is little more than idle gossip.
       Stein writes well, and the book is certainly fun to read. It gives an excellent picture of intellectual Europe (and specifically Paris) in the early 1900s, and the cast of characters -- from Picasso to Hemingway to regal Gertrude herself -- is hard to top. An amusing and worthwhile read, certainly recommended.

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Links:

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas: Reviews: Gertrude Stein:
  • Other works by Gertrude Stein under review: Other books of interest under review:

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    About the Author:

           American author Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) is best known for works such as The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas and Three Lives. She was an influential literary figure who spent much of her life in Europe.

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