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A review by charburlingame
Leonora by Elena Poniatowska
3.0
I think something was lost in translation for me. This was interesting story but for the most part I felt it read more like a textbook than a narrative. There’s a lot more exposition than dialogue so the book can feel like a slog to get through.
Despite this being a historical tale, the early parts where Leonora is involved with older mentor/lover/pretentious artist Max Ernst was a tale I’m tired of reading. I found this relationship insufferable and many of the surrealists (including, at times, Leonora herself) very unlikeable.
What I did like very much about this book was that I could tell it was written and translated by a woman. This impression came to me mostly through Leonora’s interaction with men and the way her legacy on surrealism was represented in the final parts of the book.
Overall, I thought Leonora’s tale was interesting and I think it’s an important story to tell when considering art, especially the surrealists. That being said, it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable read as I expected more elements of a traditional novel. It feels to me like a biography written by a journalist, more than anything else.
Despite this being a historical tale, the early parts where Leonora is involved with older mentor/lover/pretentious artist Max Ernst was a tale I’m tired of reading. I found this relationship insufferable and many of the surrealists (including, at times, Leonora herself) very unlikeable.
What I did like very much about this book was that I could tell it was written and translated by a woman. This impression came to me mostly through Leonora’s interaction with men and the way her legacy on surrealism was represented in the final parts of the book.
Overall, I thought Leonora’s tale was interesting and I think it’s an important story to tell when considering art, especially the surrealists. That being said, it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable read as I expected more elements of a traditional novel. It feels to me like a biography written by a journalist, more than anything else.