Life with Picasso

Written by Francoise Gilot, Carlton Lake and Lisa Alther

Narrated by Mary Sarah

Françoise Gilot was in her early twenties when she met the sixty-one-year-old Pablo Picasso in 1943. Brought up in a well-to-do upper-middle-class family, who had sent her to Cambridge and the Sorbonne and hoped that she would go into law, the young woman defied their wishes and set her sights on being an artist. Her introduction to Picasso led to a friendship, a love affair, and a relationship of ten years, during which Gilot gave birth to Picasso's two children, Paloma and Claude. Gilot was one of Picasso's muses; she was also very much her own woman, determined to make herself into the remarkable painter she did indeed become.

Life with Picasso, written with Carlton Lake and published in 1961, is about Picasso the artist and Picasso the man. We hear him talking about painting and sculpture, his life, his career, as well as other artists, both contemporaries and old masters. We glimpse Picasso in his many and volatile moods, dismissing his work, exultant over his work, entertaining his various superstitions, being an anxious father. But Life with Picasso is not only a portrait of a great artist at the height of his fame; it is also a picture of a talented young woman of exacting intelligence at the outset of her own notable career.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jan 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781977365019

Reviews for Life with Picasso

[Lisie · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It is a great book but the terrible narration makes it sound like a cheap and vulgar romance fiction rather than a memoir written by a talented female artist. Those fake French/Spanish/British accents are all very ridiculous and unrealistic and it’s especially unendurable when the narrator tries to imitate a male voice.

[traffass · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I’m giving up on the second chapter, because I just can’t listen to this bizarre narration. The reader has grossly overdone the intonations and accents. I add my voice to the other reviewers who have expressed their annoyance about the quality of the narration. I’ll have to read the book.

[oogleboogle123 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating book, terrible narration. I had to stop listening a third of the way in and buy the physical book because the narration is so awful. The airy, wispy female voice is a misguided attempt at french sophistication and the "Spanish" accent put on for when Picasso speaks sounds vaguely Indian. When narration is off in audiobooks it's a chore to listen. Pick up the book instead.

[Sage L. Maurer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

HORRIBLE NARRATOR. The voice is incredibly annoying you can barely get through the very amazing story. Who talks like that!??? And thinks it's not unbearable?

[Michael Durkin · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

One of the worst reads I have heard. Mary Sarah should stick to reading cheesy romance novels. Over pronounced French words, that’s all this is. Gilot deserves better.

[Mary Bolin · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The narration is horrific. Had to quit a few chapters in.

[spinsterrevival · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an epic journey over only a decade, and I think Gilot is absolutely amazing. While the book is supposed to be about Picasso, I’ve decided that he was a giant asshole with a few good insights (but the narcissism along with the mansplaining overrides everything that could potentially be good) and would rather continue to learn more about Gilot. You can tell that she has one of those total recall memories which is amazing as she wrote this about ten years after the ten years she’s writing about. But mostly her self awareness shines when needed, and I want to know more about this woman who literally just turned 101 years old; it’s nice to know she’s still surviving almost sixty years after writing this book. Also I loved the little chapters about so many varying characters throughout the French world of art and letters; you could take one and expand it into a whole novel or screenplay.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I think I've said more than once on LT that I can't stand celebrity memoirs, but I think I will have to make an exception for this memoir by Picasso's second wife (or was she his third? can't remember). I liked it a lot, because she focuses on the art. There is a lot of insight and information on Picasso's art, as well as his bombastic personality. It was during their marriage that Picasso began experimenting with ceramics, and I had not previously been aware of Picasso's ceramics.Gilot was an art student herself when she became involved in Picasso's circles immediately prior to WW II, and in later life became a serious artist in her own right. There's not a lot of "celebrity" gossip, though of course there is lots of information about other artists of the time. I particularly enjoyed learning about Matisse, and how different his personality style was from Picasso's. The two enjoyed a friendly rivalry.Recommended for those interested in art.4 stars

[scottcholstad · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After Dali, Picasso has always been my second favorite artist, while a cluster of others are right behind both. Sadly, after having read a number of books both by and about each, in this case Picasso, I feel like I've been left a little saddened and disillusioned about some of these men, artists. Some of them simply were not very good people and while it's certainly not new for creative types, creative geniuses, to be eccentric, antisocial, narcissistic, flat out insane or any combo of things, it's still disappointing, to me anyway, so I've been trying to focus on the works, the art, and not the artist so much, because we all have our warts and who am I to judge? Thus, I'll continue to focus on the artistic brilliances of these and other gifted artists, writers, etc., and I'll do my best to be content with that...

[terriks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fun read. Despite his being an arrogant, sexist little ass, she treats him quite fairly and her observations and explanations about his art processes are really quite good. She also has some hilarious stories involving his eccentricities and general home life that are a lot of fun. It was a different time, in so many ways.I appreciate that some question the co-writer's free use of quotes around lengthy passages by Picasso, as if they were verbatim. Perhaps that was an editor's decision. Gilot is known for apparently having a photographic memory, in addition to having kept a journal and being in possession of many letters from Picasso. For me that was a minor nit. I loved it.

[bakersfieldbarbara · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting book, but I kept wondering how Ms Gilot remembered all of what she wrote about. Did she take notes, knowing one day that she would write a book about her life with Picasso? If all of this is true, I also wonder why she put up with his behavior? But then, again, women today put up with a lot when in love with a narcissistic individual, don't they? Fascinating reading for anyone interested in knowing how other people are and especially one so well known for his artistic contributions to the world. I recommend this book, even with all of my wonderings. Ms. Gilot was an artist in her own right. She co-authored this book with Mr Carlton Luke, who speaks of having access to Picasso's letters to Ms. Gilot, and also of her notes and journals of the ten year period that she lived with Picasso. I recommend this book to anyone interested in art, and especially Picasso's unique style. References throughout the book mention art that will be known by Picasso's fans; reading this book will shine much light on how an artist thinks as he is producing his masterpieces. Even though this book is from the 1960's, it is still a great book to help to understand the life of an painter.