Books and men don’t always go hand in hand. Unless it’s “Knife throwing for Dummies” or “The Idiot’s Guide to underwater warfare,” it’s often hard to get a guy to commit to reading something longer than the back of the cereal box or humorous political comments in his twitter feed. This might surprise many of you, but some men actually read novel length books and biographies, as well as self-help dummy books.
Lucky for me, my husband loves to read when he gets a chance, so when the holidays and other things seemed to take over my life lately, he agreed to read and review The Missing Matisse for me. It took longer than anticipated because he ended up being sick for the past two weeks. But I think you will be pleased with the results. Once his brain fog cleared from the fever, he finished the book and wrote this articulate and helpful review. Enjoy!
~The Missing Matisse, by Pierre H. Matisse~
This memoir was interesting reading even for a fiction lover like me. Maybe a fascination with World War II stories helps in some respect, but Pierre’s story is very compelling. Pierre’s depictions of pre-war life for he and his family were different from my notions of the time. Even his recollections of Parisian life before the war was interesting and different to me, which made clear to me the drastic ways that war affects everyone, not just those in the rage of the conflict. Pierre’s interactions with the famous artists that his family knew and entertained give us insights into their personal characteristics and quirks. His recollections of his life as a youth make you smile.
Pierre’s young adult involvement with the resistance, the dangerous missions he embarked upon, his relationship to his father, and how these affect his identity, help the reader understand the decisions he makes later in life. Pierre’s identity issues reveal themselves in so many ways through the memoir, as seen in the relationships with his wives and children, even his relationship to work. The resolution to his identity crisis in the later chapters brings hope for the future and clarity to the trials and turmoil of his life. This read was worthwhile, informative, and enjoyable for me. I would recommend it.
~Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Merry Christmas!
Barbara