Book Review of ‘The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas’ by Gertrude Stein

The title of this autobiography causes the reader to take a second glance. How can Alice B Toklas’ autobiography be written by someone who is not herself? Gertrude Stein disguises herself in the character of her close personal friend, Alice, and looks at their experiences together through Alice’s eyes. There are various possible explanations for this, one being that she wanted to celebrate the life of her friend. However, it seems more likely that Stein has used this as a devise to celebrate her own achievements. ‘Alice’ refers to Gertrude Stein as a ‘genius’. This is a clever devise which allows Stein to boast about her own achievements in a way that is more socially acceptable than if she had celebrated these in her own autobiography.
The most interesting aspect of the book lies in its depiction of the early lives of famous artists such as Picasso and Matisse in Paris in the early part of the 20th century. The book exudes a gossipy appeal as we hear about the private lives of the famous artists, though at times it can seem like an exhaustive catalogue of name dropping. Also interesting were the experiences of Americans stranded in France when the First World War broke out and how resourceful they had to be.
Ultimately, Gertrude Stein is not a character who appeals to the reader. She comes across as conceited and dismissive of other people and she portrays Alice as a rather dull person who is only fit for a secondary role in Gertrude’s glamorous life.