The Matisse Stories

These three short stories about how women see our world --- the colors they see, the sounds they hear, the thoughts they think-- are truly remarkable for their philosophic depth and their word craftsmanship. In some ways, reading these stories (stories attuned to the everyday details of our lives); stories that describe the ringing of the phone, the belt buckle of the hairdresser; the color of the still-alive lobster in his "cage" with as much, if not more, attention as they do the "big themes" of life, death, and marriage. They are haunting, they are short and crisp and precise. The language flows gracefully and forcefully (though you do not notice the force until later; until you have closed the book).And they stay with you.

Matisse paintings are more or less the inspiration for this short but insightful collection of stories. A.S. Byatt has done a wonderful job of incorporating insight and art into three compelling short stories. In "Medusa's Ankles" a middle-aged woman in a beauty salon reflects on her life and appearance while searching for a look that will allow her to recapture a small piece of her youth. "Art Work" is an insightful look into the lives of three different people and their personalities. We learn about a kind hearted and open minded woman, her stodgy and fussy husband and their frumpy but dignified housekeeper. Finally in "The Chinese Lobster" we are treated to an elaborate Chinese lunch where we hear two professors discuss Matisse's nude paintings while at the same time expounding the troubles of a suicidal student suffering from anorexia. A.S. Byatt does a wonderful job of capturing the feelings of self-loathing, insecurity and frustration to create a rich work of literary fiction. The stories are very atmospheric and filled with vivid imagery. This is a good introduction to the talents of A.S. Byatt.

I read this somewhat as a prelude to "Posession", more as an introduction to Byatt's style than as an undertaking of itself. I was pleasantly surprised.In all I've read spanning the ages from classical philosophies to post-modernist contemporary fiction, I found this novella higly satisfying. It is brief, concise, yet wants for nothing in either style or quality of thematic content. Using controversial impressionist paintings as a backdrop for finely-crafted fictional shorts is a grand idea and it has been executed in a true literary artist's fashion here.I must strongly suggest this book to almost any reader of literature or fiction.

Beautiful, concise, intelligent and moving. One of my favourite books of recent years.

I loved these stories! The writing is spare, elegant, yet still paints vivid pictures of loss, love, life. Wonderful to read...lyrical to the ears.