The Paris Muse

Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare. Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn't long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that sometimes includes sadism and masochism, and ultimately pushes her to the edge.

The Paris Muse is the fictionalized retelling of this disturbing love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set in Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays with their glamorous artist friends, it provides a fascinating insight into how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his human relationships as he did in his art. Much to Dora's torment, he refused to divorce his wife and conducted affairs with Dora's friends. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting 'Guernica', which Dora documented as he painted.

As the encroaching darkness suffocates their relationship - a darkness that escalates once the Second World War begins and the Nazis invade the country - Dora has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized.

Atmospheric, intense and moving, The Paris Muse is an astonishing read that ensures that this talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso is no longer a footnote.

This astonishing story about love and betrayal, creativity and genius is destined to become a classic among biographical novels... An unforgettable novel about an extraordinary woman. -- Maggie Brookes, author of The Prisoner's Wife An unforgettable novel, beautifully written… This is a powerful, absorbing read about a woman who was a talented artist in her own right. -- Gill Paul, internationally bestselling author of A Beautiful Rival An accomplished literary novel, and also an absolute page turner. Raw sexual charisma and its descent into toxic cruelty which is set – and artfully echoed – in times of peace and war. -- Essie Fox, author of the Sunday Times bestseller The Fascination This absolute jewel of a novel shines a light on the tumultuous relationship between Picasso and Dora Maar. With profundity, grace and compassion, Treger probes the complexities of love, power and creativity. -- Annabel Abbs, author of the international bestseller The Language of Food Captures Dora Maar’s passionate, angry voice, and the agony and ecstasy of a love affair with Picasso’s monstrous genius with energy and insight. It also asks good questions about the way too many women who are artists in their own right get shoved into second place by men, and demeaned as “muses”. -- Amanda Craig Gifted photographer and painter - and muse of Picasso - Dora Marr comes vibrantly to life in Treger's new novel, The Paris Muse. A fascinating and heartfelt portrait of a female artist striving to succeed in the male-dominated Parisian art world, readers won't be able to resist rooting for Dora, or relishing every page until The End. A compelling and absorbing read! -- Heather Webb, USA Today and International bestselling author of Queens of London This wholly immersive, vivid tale is a poignant evocation of the life of esteemed photographer and painter Dora Maar, no longer merely Picasso’s muse, her history reclaimed by Treger as the artist fully herself. -- Janet Somerville, author of Yours, for Probably Always: Martha Gellhorn's Letters of Love & War 1930-1949 A scintillating, emotional and irresistible reading experience… Magnificently depicted, The Paris Muse is a beautifully dignified and heartrending portrayal of Dora Maar, muse to Pablo Picasso but also a forthright and accomplished artist, who rightfully deserves her place in history as an enduring, talented and influential creative. -- Mairéad Hearne (@swirlandthread) My God, what a book! I devoured every page, hungry to know more about this fascinating couple: Maar, so extraordinary and talented and Picasso with his own obvious talents, but their union so toxic. A portrait of what it is to be in love with a narcissist. It is utterly compelling, the prose exquisite. Louisa Treger is at the top of her game. -- Siobhan MacGowan, author of The Trial of Lotta Rae and The Graces Intensely powerful and immersive, The Paris Muse is a wonder of a novel. With her artful prose, and incredible story-telling, Louisa Treger had me equal parts fascinated and gripped. I'll be thinking about this compelling tale for a very long time to come. -- Jenny Ashcroft As a novel, The Paris Muse is hard to put down: as a testament to Dora Maar’s artistry, it is galvanizing and hugely compelling…. So vivid and compelling is Treger’s dialogue and scene-setting that you feel you could pull a stool up to their table and join the conversation…. Louisa Treger really knows how to work the genre so that readers of The Paris Muse are both reliably informed and unceasingly gripped. New York Observer

Louisa Treger is the acclaimed author of three novels, The Lodger (2014), The Dragon Lady (2019) and Madwoman (2022), which was a Book of the Month in the Independent and The Sunday Times. She has written for The Times, The Telegraph, Tatler, BBC History Magazine and English Heritage. Treger has a First Class degree and a PhD in English Literature from UCL, and currently lives in London.

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