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Life with Picasso

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About this listen

Françoise Gilot was in her early 20s when she met the 61-year-old Pablo Picasso in 1943. Brought up in a well-to-do, upper-middle-class family, who had sent her to Cambridge and the Sorbonne and hoped that she would go into law, the young woman defied their wishes and set her sights on being an artist. Her introduction to Picasso led to a friendship, a love affair, and a relationship of 10 years, during which Gilot gave birth to Picasso's two children, Paloma and Claude. Gilot was one of Picasso's muses; she was also very much her own woman, determined to make herself into the remarkable painter she did indeed become.

Life with Picasso, written with Carlton Lake and published in 1961, is about Picasso the artist and Picasso the man. We hear him talking about painting and sculpture, his life, his career, as well as other artists, both contemporaries and old masters. We glimpse Picasso in his many and volatile moods, dismissing his work, exultant over his work, entertaining his various superstitions, being an anxious father. But Life with Picasso is not only a portrait of a great artist at the height of his fame; it is also a picture of a talented young woman of exacting intelligence at the outset of her own notable career.

©1964 Francoise Gilot and Carlton Lake (P)2020 Tantor Art & Literature Artists, Architects & Photographers
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Gilot’s story is interesting and engaging, exposing Picasso not only as a great artist, but as arch manipulator, petulant and victim of believing his own hype. Unfortunately the dreadful narration makes it almost impossible to listen to. However, I discovered that increasing the speed of the audio book cut the slow “sing song” delivery to a minimum. It’s still irritating, but just about bearable. (Increase speed to 1.2).

An interesting story ruined by truly appalling narration.

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Fascinating details of Picasso’s life , bizarre and infuriating reading. The reader’s phrasing and lilting way of speaking are extremely distracting and annoying and the decision to narrate characters’ lines with an approximation of French and Spanish/French accents is completely insane and sounds ridiculous . It would be comical if it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book so much.

Great story, awful narration.

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couldn't stop listening. such a good insight into a genius mind I highly recommend you listen

just wow. awesome I sights

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Quite possibly the most irritating narration I’ve ever heard. Ruined an interesting story. I couldn’t finish it, the reader was simply so annoying.

Aargh the narration!

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perceptive, poignant and insightful around the artist relationship. Dominance and neediness to create and be adored.

quite the artistic discovery

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