PICASSO AND DORA

This personal memoir recounts the author's acquaintance with the great artist and one of his many mistresses, beginning in 1944 and continuing through the book's first publication in 1993. Lord encounters a number of other famous artists, writers and socialites of that period of French society and includes numerous anecdotes of such in the book. John Edwardson's reading of the lengthy work appears to capture the author's intended tone exactly. The details, however, reveal a level of self-absorption often cumbersome to the story. Edwardson captures this by adopting a pseudo-intellectual, self-important tone of voice. However, the author's emotional reactions to Picasso and Dora and the situations in which they interact are fascinating. A well-done abridgment, again read by Edwardson, would do a great service to the presentation. R.P.L. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 99]