New novel on Gertrude Stein paints a partial picture
A fictionalised account of an essayist’s exploration of the writer tells us more about contemporary women than the star quality of its protagonist
Deborah Levy's latest novel, focusing on Gertrude Stein, offers a partial portrait of the iconic American writer and art collector. Stein's Parisian flat, shared with her brother Leo and later her partner Alice, became the heart of the artistic and literary avant-garde before World War II. Despite not gaining prominence until her later years, Stein's influence on artists and writers is captured in Hemingway's memoir, Woody Allen's film, and Stein's own memoir.
Levy's unnamed British narrator, a writer in Paris, explores Stein's biography, her financial friend Fanny, and her friend Eva's lost cat. The narrative draws comparisons between Stein's era and the present, highlighting Stein's resilience as a Jewish, lesbian woman in a male-dominated world. Despite the narrator's year in Paris, the mystery surrounding Stein's influence remains unsolved.
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