Peggy Guggenheim

The Shock of the Modern

By: Francine Prose

Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

A spirited portrait of the colorful, irrepressible, and iconoclastic American collector who fearlessly advanced the cause of modern art.

One of 20th-century America's most influential patrons of the arts, Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979) brought to wide public attention the work of such modern masters as Jackson Pollock and Man Ray. In her time there was no stronger advocate for the groundbreaking and the avant-garde. Her midtown gallery was the acknowledged center of the postwar New York art scene, and her museum on the Grand Canal in Venice remains one of the world's great collections of modern art. Yet as renowned as she was for the art and artists she so tirelessly championed, Guggenheim was equally famous for her unconventional personal life and for her ironic, playful desire to shock.

Acclaimed best-selling author Francine Prose offers a listen of Guggenheim's life that will enthrall enthusiasts of 21st-century art as well as anyone interested in American and European culture and the interrelationships between them. The lively and insightful narrative follows Guggenheim through virtually every aspect of her extraordinary life, from her unique collecting habits and paradigm-changing discoveries to her celebrity friendships, failed marriages, and scandalous affairs. Prose delivers a colorful portrait of a defiantly uncompromising woman who maintained a powerful upper hand in a male-dominated world. She also explores the ways in which Guggenheim's image was filtered through the lens of insidious anti-Semitism.

©2015 Francine Prose (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

An interesting story told well

I found this biography interesting without being lost in too much detail. A fascinating life with probably oversized influence. The biographer tries to be fair to Peggy, who has received a lot of bad press during and after her life.

Could’ve been so good

Although this is a wonderful story about an incredible woman, it certainly would’ve improved if the narrator had known how to pronounce proper languages and had more of an engaging wilt to her voice.

A little dry

I tend to bypass biographies for memoirs. As a typical biography, the book was full of names and details. Somewhat difficult to keep track of everything. I do enjoy art. I have been to Venice, but visited the academia and not Peggy’s museum. Interesting book, but maybe not so many names.

Good overview

Enjoyed listening to this book and learning about this extraordinary woman and the life and her art legacy.

Good listen

Are you looking for a short, snappy, gossipy bio? This is it. I listened to it driving through Nebraska and never dozed for a second!
Peggy Guggenheim certainly knew how to keep her life exciting.

Peggy Guggenheim

Fascinating story of a woman who was a major force and personality in the journey and history of contemporary art.

very Interesting

i had not heard of Peggy. of her family yes. to be such a free spirit and supporter of the srts.

Must Read If You Care About Modern Art

I love the whole story and every bit of each artist in their real life. Twists and turns about how the paintings are acquired, preserved and saved are heart throbbing. Peggy’s personal lifestyle and all her men are mesmerizing. Carrington did a super job narrating and I wish the book does not end. So interesting.

Wonderful backstory

I chose this on a whim, and was so pleased that I did. As a lover of surrealist art, it was the perfect choice. I am off to Venice to visit her collection. What an amazing contribution to art of the 20th century.

Facts depictions of her life

It was good. I have not read her books written by herself by Peggy Guggenheim but this book seems to be a more precise version comprising of straight forward facts.