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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
I read Carrington's Down Below last year and also watched the BBC's documentary Leonora Carrington: The Lost Surrealist, so it's safe to say I was pretty familiar with the overview of her life. Yet this biography provided additional depth, especially when it came to her later years. This edition's postscript was also a great addition, as it explored her time in Chicago during the 1980s. The fact that Moorhead also discussed her prose made for a more nuanced read, because Carrington wasn't only an artist. Was the writing the most groundbreaking or poetic? No—too many semicolons, too much repetition when it came to describing Leonora's physical features. But it did the job, and I felt the author's love and admiration for her cousin. Would definitely like to try out Carrington's short stories and her book The Hearing Trumpet.
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Informative and interesting the whole way through. Only criticism would be that the section of her life in Mexico and the US is not as fleshed out as her European life
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Maybe, even 3.5⭐.
So, the life of Leonora Carrington is FASCINATING!! Really, what a life. You get a good grab of her early life, and the events that took the British-born artist to France, Spain, Lisbon, the US (escaping from WWII) and finally Mexico, where she spent a great share of her life. You don't have to agree with her decisions, nor she gives (or the book) many reasons behind why she did what she did, but you will admire her passion and strength. Now, I'm not sure the writing was strong enough, the book is very simplistic, throwing names here and there, overusing some phrases (i mean she mentions Leonora's hair, in my opinion, more than what was necessary). Anyway, good thing is that the book left me wanting for more, so I will look for a proper biography and for sure read L. Carringtong texts and stories mentioned in the book!
So, the life of Leonora Carrington is FASCINATING!! Really, what a life. You get a good grab of her early life, and the events that took the British-born artist to France, Spain, Lisbon, the US (escaping from WWII) and finally Mexico, where she spent a great share of her life. You don't have to agree with her decisions, nor she gives (or the book) many reasons behind why she did what she did, but you will admire her passion and strength. Now, I'm not sure the writing was strong enough, the book is very simplistic, throwing names here and there, overusing some phrases (i mean she mentions Leonora's hair, in my opinion, more than what was necessary). Anyway, good thing is that the book left me wanting for more, so I will look for a proper biography and for sure read L. Carringtong texts and stories mentioned in the book!
This biography feels more like an adventure story with so many topics and themes in it that make it so hard to put it down. Even if you know nothing about her life, Surrealism or art in general, this book is a great start
I don't read a lot of non-fiction so this was kind of a step outside my comfort zone, but worth it for Leonora. Having studied her at Uni, there's not loads I didn't already know (and I am realising that seeking answers through artists biographies is a fool's errand), but there are flashes of things that better explain her world and also help me consider my own world differently. She was an awesome woman by all accounts, defo worth the read if you have no idea about her and her life!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
A book that is illuminating, not dwelling on too much small detail(there are plenty of details here, but not in the sense of "the artists drank here, fucked here, drank again there, yadda yadda") and gave a pretty clear portrait of an artist. Granted I was interested in later life(in Mexico, apparently moving to america for a bit also?) and Carrington's interior spiritual world, but I felt the author was after something different than a listicle on a famous artists. Perhaps a bio need not be written by only one.
La vida maravillosa de Leonora Carrington queda plasmada en las páginas de este libro. Una rebelde, una visionaria que dejó la comodidad de su vida en el seno familiar, para encontrarse a sí misma, dejando como legado pinturas, libros y esculturas que remueven los sentimientos de todo aquel que llega a admirarlos. Este libro captura su vida de manera genial.
I first heard about Leonora Carrington in an excellent episode of Katy Hessel's podcast, The Great Women Artists (highly recommended). I was hooked from the very first minutes by the story of how Joanna Moorhead (re) discovered and (re) connected with this distant relative of hers who'd been completely erased from the family's history. I wanted to learn more, and the book didn't disappoint. Leonora's life is absolutely fascinating. You might have heard about her relationship with Max Ernst, or her mental breakdown during WWII, but trust me there is a lot more to learn about and from this amazing woman. Since reading this biography I am very curious about Leonora's art. It also got me interested in surrealism in general, and the women within the surrealist movement in particular.