The Lives of the Muses - by Francine Prose (Paperback)

About the Book

In this bestselling finalist for the National Book Award, Prose explores the lives of such noted artists as Lewis Carroll, George Balanchine, and John Lennon, and the women who inspired their greatest achievements. Photos.

From the Back Cover

All loved, and were loved by, their artists, and inspired them with an intensity of emotion akin to Eros.

In a brilliant, wry, and provocative book, National Book Award finalist Francine Prose explores the complex relationship between the artist and his muse. In so doing, she illuminates with great sensitivity and intelligence the elusive emotional wellsprings of the creative process.

Review Quotes

"Refreshing ... a wonderful work of revisionist biography." - Kirkus Reviews
"Prose taps into the power of nine in this inspired book." - Art News
"Richly drawn ... Prose approaches the artist-muse relationship with respect and wonder." - Gotham Magazine
"Entertaining ... Prose's indignation, intelligence, scorching wit and critical insight have full play." - Washington Post Book World
"Packed with fascinating details." - Columbus Dispatch
"Prose make a remarkable case for the exceptionality of these women in their own right." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Sad, glamorous and entirely riveting." - Newsweek
"Lively and compassionate" - Entertainment Weekly
"A remarkable book...piquant, intelligent, provocative--and sometimes haunting." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Francine Prose humanizes nine women who, in some cases, have been idealized beyond recognition. Hurrah for real women." - San Francisco Chronicle
"Juicy reading .... a thoroughly researched, highly opinionated series of fascinating double biographies." - Los Angeles Times Book Review
"A supple work of cultural history." - Time magazine
"Exceptionally well researched ... an elegant study." - Book Forum
"Prose has done a great service in her just reconsideration of the rather strange, complicated role of the muse." - San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
"With elegance, eloquence and majesty, Prose has give us a glimpse of the tangled webs of art and Eros." - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"A stylish assessment of nine very different women who appear to have made the alchemy of art possible." - Stacy Schiff, New York Times Book Review
"Rollicking ... Almost too much fun to read." - Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air
"Stylish writing ... a clear-eyed view .. cherry-picked examples." - USA Today
"A wonderful combination of argument and literary portraiture." - Wall Street Journal