dajna's review against another edition
3.0
Ho visitato la mostra al Mudec di Milano, leggere poi questa biografia romanzata è d'obbligo. I fatti salienti ci sono tutti, ma capisco le obiezioni di altre recensioni, scritte da persone più competenti di me in storia dell'arte, riguardo alle varie licenze poetiche che si è presal'autrice. Non concordo invece con chi ha ritenuto la lettura confusa. Certo, ci sono dei salti temporali importanti, ma rispecchiano il modo di ragionare e ricordare di ogni essere umano.
Credo che la vera Frida avrebbe apprezzato questa rivisitazione della propria vita. Non so quanto avrebbe apprezzato invece i dettagli relativi al suo matrimonio: all'inizio del libro lei sembra la fanciulla delicata e succube del grande maestro, ma alla fine è lui a passare per inadatto.
Credo che la vera Frida avrebbe apprezzato questa rivisitazione della propria vita. Non so quanto avrebbe apprezzato invece i dettagli relativi al suo matrimonio: all'inizio del libro lei sembra la fanciulla delicata e succube del grande maestro, ma alla fine è lui a passare per inadatto.
cozylittlebrownhouse's review against another edition
3.0
As a Spanish teacher, I have studied Frida Kahlo's life and paintings off and on for several years; she paints with an honest brutality not demonstrated by many artists. (As I tell my students, I like learning about the emotion and story behind her raw artwork, but wouldn't want to hang them in my home! They're just a little too much for say, the living room.) I find her life fascinating, so I enjoyed this unique, if not peculiar approach to what makes Frida, Frida.
That being said, the writing is somewhat jarring because she bounces around between first and third person (like many other reviewers have mentioned), the grammar is a bit rocky at times, and the breaks for a description of her paintings weren't always fluid. While I was familiar with the paintings described in the book, many people might not be, so visuals would have been nice.
This was a good book that could have been GREAT. Kahlo laid out her entire life on her canvasses, so the idea of mixing bio/art history would be very effective. It just isn't here. Perhaps something got lost in translation.
That being said, the writing is somewhat jarring because she bounces around between first and third person (like many other reviewers have mentioned), the grammar is a bit rocky at times, and the breaks for a description of her paintings weren't always fluid. While I was familiar with the paintings described in the book, many people might not be, so visuals would have been nice.
This was a good book that could have been GREAT. Kahlo laid out her entire life on her canvasses, so the idea of mixing bio/art history would be very effective. It just isn't here. Perhaps something got lost in translation.
jodi_b's review against another edition
3.0
I've read several novels about Frida Kahlo. Frida's Bed left me uneasy. Told in the third person, Frida comes across vulnerable and insecure. Does this made Frida seem more human? In some ways, yes, but it also played with the larger than life image I have of Frida.
melanie_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting but switching between third and first person with no clear indication was confusing and didn't necessarily add to the narrative.
la_cori's review against another edition
3.0
Dal suo letto e in punto di morte Frida ricorda tutta la sua vita (l'autrice segue l'ipotesi di una morte per overdose volontaria e non a causa di un' embolia polmonare, la causa di morte ufficiale).
Il racconto non è quasi mai lineare, si salta da un ricordo all'altro e più volte mi sono persa. Se l'autrice voleva rendere lo stato confusionario di Frida che precedeva la sua morte è stata una scelta giusta, ma in generale il racconto mi è sembrato troppo confusionario e tratti anche ripetitivo.
Tutto sommato una lettura un po' deludente.. Speravo di approfondire un po' di più qualche aspetto della vita della Kahlo, che conoscevo solo a grandi linee. Non consiglio la lettura neanche a chi conosce bene la vita di Frida Kahlo perchè sono quasi sicura che questo libro non possa aggiungere granchè..
Le uniche cose che ho veramente apprezzato sono quelle brevi spiegazioni/contestualizzazioni di alcune opere della Kahlo.
Il racconto non è quasi mai lineare, si salta da un ricordo all'altro e più volte mi sono persa. Se l'autrice voleva rendere lo stato confusionario di Frida che precedeva la sua morte è stata una scelta giusta, ma in generale il racconto mi è sembrato troppo confusionario e tratti anche ripetitivo.
Tutto sommato una lettura un po' deludente.. Speravo di approfondire un po' di più qualche aspetto della vita della Kahlo, che conoscevo solo a grandi linee. Non consiglio la lettura neanche a chi conosce bene la vita di Frida Kahlo perchè sono quasi sicura che questo libro non possa aggiungere granchè..
Le uniche cose che ho veramente apprezzato sono quelle brevi spiegazioni/contestualizzazioni di alcune opere della Kahlo.
lupitareads's review against another edition
3.0
The beginning of this book paralleled the movie Frida, so much that I was beginning to think it was the movie script.
As I continued to read I was pleasantly surprised, yet slightly perplexed. I had to continue to remind myself this book is fiction, that the ideas and thoughts relayed in the book are based on the authors opinion of what and who Frida was. The author did an excellent job of weaving in Frida's paintings and matching them with major life events, making the read truly contemplate Frida's paintings. Her view and voice of Frida is one I have yet to read or see in any other books. She displayed Frida as a human, a women who based her life and living around her husband. A devout wife to the fullest and an individual who struggled with becoming a devout wife with no questions asked. Which became my major issue with the book....although fiction, the book failed in my eyes to show Frida as who I thought she was - strong, independent, and fearless. That in mind , I believe the book served its purpose- making the reading question and contemplate and see there heroes as humans. Although our heroes may be famous, that does not prevent them from suffering, pain and life in general.
As I continued to read I was pleasantly surprised, yet slightly perplexed. I had to continue to remind myself this book is fiction, that the ideas and thoughts relayed in the book are based on the authors opinion of what and who Frida was. The author did an excellent job of weaving in Frida's paintings and matching them with major life events, making the read truly contemplate Frida's paintings. Her view and voice of Frida is one I have yet to read or see in any other books. She displayed Frida as a human, a women who based her life and living around her husband. A devout wife to the fullest and an individual who struggled with becoming a devout wife with no questions asked. Which became my major issue with the book....although fiction, the book failed in my eyes to show Frida as who I thought she was - strong, independent, and fearless. That in mind , I believe the book served its purpose- making the reading question and contemplate and see there heroes as humans. Although our heroes may be famous, that does not prevent them from suffering, pain and life in general.
noide127's review against another edition
3.0
Although she drags a bit too much Frida's suffering from her toxic relationship with Diego Rivera at the very end, Drakulić's way of telling Frida's life is quite dynamic and interesting. In 160 pages she manages to cover some of the major milestones in Frida's life, while also offering some very poignant observations. I really appreciate the moments she takes to include descriptions of Frida's paintings, because what would be an account of Frida's life without her art?
I did feel, however, that Drakulić's opinions about Frida and Diego's relationship were particularly hard, which I didn't appreciate. Do I feel called out by her? Probably. Do I feel defensive of Frida, who has been continuously reduced to her relationship with Rivera (his wife, a false feminist icon for staying with him)? Definitely.
I did feel, however, that Drakulić's opinions about Frida and Diego's relationship were particularly hard, which I didn't appreciate. Do I feel called out by her? Probably. Do I feel defensive of Frida, who has been continuously reduced to her relationship with Rivera (his wife, a false feminist icon for staying with him)? Definitely.
egoenner's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing entry into Kahlo's psyche. An exploration of pain and love and art that brought me new understanding of Kahlo's art (I looked up paintings on google images as Drakulic described them). Drakulic has long been one of my favorite authors and this slim work again showed her amazing skill.
drdreuh's review against another edition
2.0
Frida's Bed is a strange tale strangely written. Of course Slavenka Drakulić isn't entirely to blame, it IS Frida Khalo's life it chronicles, afterall.
Admittedly I'm not generally a fan of historical fiction because you just can't tell where the history leaves off and the fiction begins. But Drakulić's biography-slash-novel is even more egregious as she indiscriminately switches from first person to third and back again. The effect is, fittingly, surrealistic.
And this surrealist literary style carries through to the (bitter) end. For Khalo lead a pretty tortuous life - physically due to illness and injury as well as emotionally - and the book follows right along! The end was a slow death for poor Khalo and it feels like a slow death for the reader too. The final pages are an exhausting tirade that ultimately leaves us with a sense of relief at Khalo's departure.
As an interpretation of an artist's life, its an interesting read. A biography, however, it is not. For a slight book, it feels longer that it should.
Admittedly I'm not generally a fan of historical fiction because you just can't tell where the history leaves off and the fiction begins. But Drakulić's biography-slash-novel is even more egregious as she indiscriminately switches from first person to third and back again. The effect is, fittingly, surrealistic.
And this surrealist literary style carries through to the (bitter) end. For Khalo lead a pretty tortuous life - physically due to illness and injury as well as emotionally - and the book follows right along! The end was a slow death for poor Khalo and it feels like a slow death for the reader too. The final pages are an exhausting tirade that ultimately leaves us with a sense of relief at Khalo's departure.
As an interpretation of an artist's life, its an interesting read. A biography, however, it is not. For a slight book, it feels longer that it should.