Muses and more

I like to read introductions to books just to get a feel for what inspired book or just an overview. Sometimes they drag on so long that I just skim and move on. The intro to Lives of the Muses is so well written that the length seemed of no consequence. Well, it drew in some of my favorite topics, art, storytelling, strong women. Familiar figures and new ones- I am looking forward to a great read!

I dropped by Bookaholic with notebook in hand- whoohoo! I found three books on my hard-to-find used list! One has been on the list so long I had given up and taken it off. The Bookaholic freaks are gradually getting back in my good graces, even though I am still annoyed that they don't take my books either because they have too many of the same title or it is a title that too obscure to sell. Bah to them, hello Goodwill

Muses

I just finished The Artist's Wife, a fictionalized account of Alma Mahler. She made a career as a muse to Mahler, Gropius, Klimt and more. She even attempted the same with a priest who, unfortunately, was sent to Dachau. Not a particularly admirable woman, but fascinating. I don't know a whole lot about Vienna's Golden age or the revolutionary work that followed its decay, and the book gave some interesting insights. It has also piqued my interest in the role of the muse- I plan to follow up soon with Francine Prose's Lives of the Muses, which includes Mahler as one of its subjects.

I would like to integrate the role of art people such muses, collectors, critics, curators into AR100 but I am not sure how that aligns with the outcomes.

Correction- Prose's book does not profile Mahler but should give an interesting counterpoint to the variety of roles muses can play. Are there any male muses?

Moving on

Finally I finished The Name of the Rose. Bleah! Overrated, overlong. Big fuss over the role of humor in theology. Throwing in all this Latin just to look profound. Brother William was cool but his horny little sidekick was annoying. OK.

Carol Higgins Clark cannot write. Mama Higgins Clark can spin a good tale, even though the characters are always rich, beautiful, refined, and live in Connecticut or New York. Baby H.C. cannot tell a story, draw anything but cardboard characters, unbelievable dialog, one page chapters!? OK, CHC and Eco are permanently off my reading list.

In the meantime I found a yummy novel, The Book of Salt to savor (pun intended). Novel of a Vietnamese cook working for GertrudeStein and Alice B. Toklas. The language is so seductive and lush.