Nana

By Émile Zola

This book took a long time to read, even if I did read other books at the same time. Some chapters just went on and on, and were not easily flowing. Anyway, each chapter presents a period in the life of Nana, an actress/celebrity/prostitute in Paris of the 1860s/1870s, from the times she first revealed to society until her untimely death. Through her we also get a good critical look at the society that embraces/makes fun of/objects to her. [386 pp., including notes, not including introduction.]

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The Art of Rivalry

 By Sebastian Smee

Exploring significant relationships and mutual influence between pairs of contemporary artists: Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon; Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas; Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso; and Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. 

Each one of these artists were influential in the art world, and would have probably not have created the same art if not for their meeting their counterparts. Their stories are shared in an easy to follow sequence of events in the lives of each painter in the pair, the effects they had on each other once they met, the struggles and jealousies, as well as deep love and/or admiration for each other's art. [nonfiction, 390pp.]

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Favorite quote: 

The creative process is a little like the act of making love. It can be as violent as fucking, like an orgasm or an ejaculation. The result is often disappointing, but the process is highly exciting.

                 -- Francis Bacon

The Private Lives of the Impressionst

By Sue Roe

[finished reading it around May 12]

This book was definitely interesting to read, and I did learn a lot from it. However, at time, it was a bit overwhelming with information, and it was not always easy to keep track of all the names mentioned. [nonfiction, 368pp.] 

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