Liszt: The Artist as Romantic Hero

Eleanor Perenyi knows how to get into the psyche of her subject...the colorful composer and piano virtuoso, Franz Liszt. More than a biography...this is a study of the breaking down of cultural norms and social taboos in the period of European history when the status of the artist was shifting from servant to an icon to be worshipped. Perenyi knows her 19th century literature and history. This bio reads like a novel spiced with colorful and controversial characters who are both flawed in their humanity...like you and I, and ingrained with genius...unlike us. Franz Liszt could be the poster child for the "Romantic" ideal. A wonderful read and hard to put down. Well done, Mrs. Perenyi!