Picasso: A Biography
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Picasso: A Biography Details
From Library Journal O'Brian, author of the popular sea adventure yarns, turned his pen to nonfiction in 1976 to produce this portrait of the artist. O'Brian drew from his friendship with Picasso as well as his knowledge of the area in Spain where the artist was raised. For art collections needing more on Picasso.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more About the Author Patrick O'Brian's acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin series of historical novels has been described as "a masterpiece" (David Mamet, New York Times), "addictively readable" (Patrick T. Reardon, Chicago Tribune), and "the best historical novels ever written" (Richard Snow, New York Times Book Review), which "should have been on those lists of the greatest novels of the 20th century" (George Will).Set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, O'Brian's twenty-volume series centers on the enduring friendship between naval officer Jack Aubrey and physician (and spy) Stephen Maturin. The Far Side of the World, the tenth book in the series, was adapted into a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture. The books are now available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book format.In addition to the Aubrey/Maturin novels, Patrick O'Brian wrote several books including the novels Testimonies, The Golden Ocean, and The Unknown Shore, as well as biographies of Joseph Banks and Picasso. He translated many works from French into English, among them the novels and memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir, the first volume of Jean Lacouture's biography of Charles de Gaulle, and famed fugitive Henri Cherrière's memoir Papillon. O'Brian died in January 2000. Read more
Reviews
At some point, I wanted more about Picasso's life and fewer interpretations of his work. the author did a great job detailing the early years, explaining the different "phases" he went through as well as his involvement with his many artistic friends. Yet, the later years were rushed, and I felt that i really didn't want long interpretations and explanations of the art so much as I wanted to know more about the man. As a Chicagoan, I was also disappointed that he never even mentioned how and why Picasso donated his great sculpture to the city. But, for an understanding of the man, this book seems to be the best out there.
