Malevolent Muse: The Life of Alma Mahler, by Oliver Hilmes
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Malevolent Muse: The Life of Alma Mahler, by Oliver Hilmes
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Of all the colorful figures on the twentieth-century European cultural scene, hardly anyone has provoked more-polarized reactions than Alma Schindler Mahler Gropius Werfel (1879–1964). Mistress to a long succession of brilliant men, she married three of the best known: the composer Gustav Mahler, the architect Walter Gropius, and the writer Franz Werfel. Her admirers regarded Alma as a self-sacrificing figure of inspiration to great artists, many of whom indeed exhibited a remarkable devotion to her. Her detractors saw her as a self-aggrandizing social climber, a boozy, bigoted, vengeful harlot—or as one contemporary put it, “She was a grande dame and at the same time a cesspool.”So who was she really? The historian Oliver Hilmes sets the record straight. Drawing on a trove of unpublished material, much of it in Alma’s own words, as the basis for his biography of her, he succeeds in evoking the atmosphere of intellectual life on the Continent during the first half of the century. Hilmes goes on to describe life in émigré communities on both coasts of the United States following the Nazi takeover in Europe. First published in German in 2004, the biography was hailed as a rare combination of meticulous scholarship and sensational gossip. The whiff of scandal surrounding this reputed muse of geniuses helped make the book a runaway best-seller.
Malevolent Muse: The Life of Alma Mahler, by Oliver Hilmes- Amazon Sales Rank: #683775 in Books
- Brand: Hilmes, Oliver/ Arthur, Donald (TRN)
- Published on: 2015-05-05
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.50" h x 1.20" w x 6.40" l, .92 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 348 pages
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Most helpful customer reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. A legend in her own time By Marjorie Cunningham There is no doubt that Alma Mahler indeed led a dramatic life. Not only was she married to the composer, Gustav Mahler, the architect, Walter Gropius, and the author, Franz Werfel, but she had affairs and flirtations with numerous men, many of some distinction. Everywhere she turned, she rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous. The list of those her life intersected with is quite mind boggling.However, she was a deeply troubled woman who had severe problems in her relationships with not only the many men in her life but also her family and children. She would fluctuate, sometimes on a daily basis, from loving someone to hating them. The fascination of this book lies in that dichotomy. There are many quotes throughout the book in her own words taken directly from her diaries. And those words could often be so callous as to be truly shocking. Those who met her were either bewitched by her or repulsed by her.The author has done a wonderful job of putting this book together and attempting to work out exactly who this colorful personage was. The research done was meticulous and he’s written a very interesting book. Not only are you treated to reading about a fascinating life, but you also will have much insight into the lives of Mahler and Werfel and the intellectual scene of that time. I’m glad I read the hardcover edition of this book rather than a digital version since it’s full of interesting photos that wouldn’t have shown up well on my e-reader. The book itself is beautifully bound.While you may not end up having much admiration for parts of Alma Mahler’s life, the fact that she created such a legend in her own lifetime is a masterpiece in itself.I won a copy of this book on LibraryThings with the understanding that I would give an honest review.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. What a hateful woman! By Laurie A. Brown Born in 1879 and living until 1964, Alma Schindler Mahler Gropius Werfel lived a long life. She lived through two world wars, outlasted two husbands (Mahler and Werfel), divorced another one (Gropius), was constantly unfaithful, drank too much, was a virulent anti-Semite despite marrying two Jewish men and having affairs with many more, was emotionally abusive to pretty much every one around her- especially her husbands, lovers, and children-, thought Hitler had kind eyes, was self-deluded and self-aggrandizing, was a great fan of the arts, and was greedy. Yet men of genius flocked to her. Painters, writers, composers, architects, sculptors, conductors, politicians, and more all became lovers or friends. And to be either of those things, you had to be a vocal admirer. Any criticism of her and she was an enemy. So what did this woman have that other women didn’t? I confess that I am no closer to understanding that I was before reading the book.She was physically attractive, but not exceptionally so. She knew how to decorate a house and to throw a party. She had composed a few songs described as ‘slight’ before meeting Mahler, who put an end to her composing Apparently she must have been a good conversationalist, to have interested so many people. A number of her lovers remained attracted to her long after their affairs were over- was she that good in bed?Was she a muse? Mahler, Gropius and Werfel were all pretty well along in their careers when she met them, so they didn’t need to her create. Werfel wrote a large number of plays and books after becoming Alma’s husband, but part of that is because she demanded that he support her in the style to which she was accustomed. To do most of his writing, he most often fled to another city until he was finished with the project- those long separations may possibly be why their marriage lasted so long.It’s a mystery. I was rather revolted by the picture of Alma that emerged from the book. Hilmes’s research is impeccable; he waded through boxes of correspondence and diaries. Alma kept a rather thorough record of her life and relationships, although she self-censored it at some point. That she destroyed some diaries and letters is probably a good thing; as it was, her memoir, ‘En Leben’ was so full of sex that it was sold from under bookstore counters like pornography (bearing in mind that this was 1959). Her story is interesting-Alma and Werfel’s escape from Europe as Hitler’s armies took over was enough to make me hold my breath- but most of the book moves very slowly. Because of her character, I can’t say I really enjoyed the book. Just as I thought she couldn’t get any worse, she’d do or say something unforgivable. And yet, so many in her life forgave her constantly.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Malevolent Muse explained in much greater detail than any publication ... By Dennis C. Roberts Malevolent Muse explained in much greater detail than any publication I've read how Alma Mahler's personality and obsessions impacted her relationship with Gustav Mahler and the several others who would be drawn to her unique ways. Alma's magnetism to creative geniuses is still a mystery to me. She fancied herself as the catalyst for genius yet her narcissism leads me to suspect that it was more her flirtations and entrapment of men whose minds were actually more focused on their work. Gustav Mahler certainly was known for being aloof and inaccessible in ways that might have left Alma to dream and do as she wished. The book is exceedingly well documented and leaves little for the imagination. As a study of genius, Malevolent Muse is important because it illuminates the vulnerability of those who possess rare artistic gifts.
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