In Montparnasse

The Emergence of Surrealism in Paris, from Duchamp to Dalí

By: Sue Roe

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton

"Describes with plenty of colour how surrealism, from Rene Magritte's bowler hats to Salvador Dali's watches, was born and developed." (The Times, UK)

As she did for the Modernists In Montmartre, noted art historian and biographer Sue Roe now tells the story of the Surrealists in Montparnasse.

In Montparnasse begins on the eve of the First World War and ends with the 1936 unveiling of Dalí’s Lobster Telephone. As those extraordinary years unfolded, the Surrealists found ever more innovative ways of exploring the interior life, and asking new questions about how to define art. In Montparnasse recounts how this artistic revolution came to be amidst the salons and cafés of that vibrant neighborhood.

Sue Roe is both an incisive art critic of these pieces and a beguiling biographer with a fingertip feel for this compelling world. Beginning with Duchamp, Roe then takes us through the rise of the Dada movement, the birth of Surrealist photography with Man Ray, the creation of key works by Ernst, Cocteau, and others, through the arrival of Dalí. On canvas and in their ready-mades and other works these artists juxtaposed objects never before seen together to make the viewer marvel at the ordinary - and at the workings of the subconscious. We see both how this art came to be and how the artists of Montparnasse lived. Roe puts us with Gertrude Stein in her box seat at the opening of The Rite of Spring; with Duchamp as he installs his famous urinal; at a Cocteau theatrical with Picasso and Coco Chanel; with Breton at a session with Freud; and with Man Ray as he romances Kiki de Montparnasse.

Stein said it best when she noted that the Surrealists still saw in the common ways of the 19th century, but they complicated things with the bold new vision of the 20th. Their words mark an enormously important watershed in the history of art - and they forever changed the way we all see the world.

©2019 Sue Roe (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Roe proves a sure-handed guide on the quest for 'something more real than reality' and excels in documenting clashes both serious and silly." (New Yorker)

“Untangl[es] Surrealism’s evolutionary history. In this undertaking [Roe] succeeds admirably, making sense of the by-turns anguished and playful chaos.... In fixing on the emergence of Surrealism rather than its popular apotheosis in, say, the mature paintings of Dalí, René Magritte and Joan Miró, Ms. Roe leaves readers to draw their own visual conclusions. The expectation is reasonable and just as the artists themselves would have wanted. For the Surrealists’ chief revolutionary legacy lies in the credit - and role - they gave to viewers.” (The Wall Street Journal)

"Roe is an elegant writer.... [T]his entertaining, fast-paced history will thrill Francophones and art historians alike." (Publishers Weekly)

Really awful and I’m not sure why

First, I love the reading of this book. I cannot tell if the book is just poorly written and organized, or if my distain for Breton and the surrealist manifesto just puts me off. Utterly ridiculous characters that would eat their talented own. All seem to be fanboys of Picasso, and willing to reject great minds/artists like Joan Miri or Dali.

I have trouble getting engaged with this book, and I’m sorry to the writer if it is my own thickness which keeps me from gaining the education and pleasure from reading such a book. If you side with Kahlo, you will likely find this book beyond silly and a bit frightening. If you side with Breton, meh, you might also. Great performance on the reading though.

J

Fascinating insight into surrealism

This was a very interesting look into the birth and development of Surrealism in Paris.
I am not one to usually notice or comment on the narration but at times in this audio book I was distracted by what I would consider unnatural pausing/ phrasing in the reading.

Great Second of Two Books

I read Sue Roe's first book about the rise of modern art, which was excellent, but this one is even better. The narration is stellar. Fascinating and highly recommended!

An audiobook about art is like a book about flavor

It's hard to appreciate art by listening to it. If you're interested in the gossip about the Surrealists, this is an entertaining book.
Narration: The narrator goes into full Francophile mode whenever she pronounces anything French. Also, there are several names she must have mispronounced that were redubbed with the same flat sound bite repeated over and over. (e.g. De Chirico), which can grate on the ear.

How did this one get into Audible?

Terrible, halting voice. I've listened to about a hundred Audible books and this is the first one I couldn't finish.

Entertaining and informative study of the era.

The work is an entertaining and informative description of an important era of Western Art. A necessary companion to In Montmartre by the same author, Susan Roe. Well written, extraordinarily well researched, and an entertaining read/listen.