Alina Happy Hansen

I read The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas in only a few weeks. To be honest, I read a few pages and put it down then picked up other books I have been reading and kind of forgot about it. Then I picked it up again a few days later and couldn’t put it down. I got sucked in and read page after page. I think what hooked me was the style, the echo that the writing has (or is supposed to be) of Alice’s speech. This made the content feel as if it was part of a casual discussion with Alice, who ‘remembers’ the tiniest details when it comes to Gertrude.

This book is one of Gertrude Stein’s most popular works even when it was first published in 1933. What I thought was fascinating about this ‘Autobiography’ is that Stein wrote in Alice’s voice from Alice’s perspective entirely on the subject of Gertrude. Stein uses her partner Alice as a literary device to discuss her writing, social life, and their relationship (barely).

I felt that Stein had taken the purpose of ‘autobiography’ to gain perspective on herself but the issue of this is that the perspective she writes from (Alice) is Stein’s own creation. This is evident from the beginning of the autobiography which is vague and contains muddled details about Alice’s life before meeting Stein. Then when she finally comes to Paris and meets Stein, there is more focus and clarity not only in the content and story-telling but in the writing.

The only other work by Stein I’ve read is Tender Buttons which is a million miles from the ‘autobiography’ in terms of content and style. I have conflicting feelings when it comes to both books but I think what I need to do is read more of her work. As for Alice, I am fascinated by her and feel like Stein’s ‘autobiography’ of her fails to really give the audience the true Alice. I plan on reading Alice’s real autobiography soon to get a real perspective on Stein’s.

After finishing the ‘autobiography’ I was unsettled, honestly disturbed. To me, Stein uses Alice as a mask and magnifying glass on herself which makes it seem like she doesn’t really care about Alice but only cares about the attention she gets.

What disturbs me specifically, the three pages that make up the first chapter “Before I came to Paris” which is Alice’s life before Stein, and the repetition in the first half of the book that talks about Alice sitting and talking with “other wives of geniuses”. This naturally assumes that Alice is also the wife of a genius, and because she is being used as literary-cover (mask) by Stein, Stein is really saying she is a genius. I’d rather have her come out and say it plainly than go about doing it this way.

Overall, I love the style and writing itself. It’s the content and intent of Stein that perplex me. I want to read Alice’s real words and might pick up some of their letters to each other and compare her writing to Stein’s “Alice’s” voice. I think this work is an interesting experiment in style but I question the real motives behind its creation but of course, there is the death of the author, does Stein’s intent even matter?

Alina’s Rating: 4 Picasso’s out of 5 Picasso’s