Reviews for Stephen Vincent Benét

The average rating for Stephen Vincent Benét based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-10-21 00:00:00 Jeffrey Chambers Using this other book, I continue my review of Gertrude Stein's "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas." My edition of the latter has no introduction, no pictures (except in the cover), with just three cryptic blurbs which wouldn't give you any idea who Alice B. Toklas is, whether she's a real person, and why it is called an autobiography when it was written not by Alice B. Toklas but by Gertrude Stein. Who that person is, on the cover, with a manly hairstyle, you wouldn't know either. That's Gertrude Stein! How did I know? Through this other book, with LOTS of pictures. It is a compilation of selected letters written by Alice B. Toklas (ABT) to friends, etc. after Gertrude Stein (GS) had passed away. The very first entry is in the form of a telegram dated 27 July 1946, ABT saying: "Gertrude died this afternoon. I am writing. Dearest love, Alice." The last letter in this collection was of 9 January 1966 where ABT wrote a letter with these last two sentences: "Do come back soon. I shan't last forever." ABT's heart stopped on 7 March 1967, just short of her 90th birthday. She had found the will to go on living for 20 more years without GS, despite her sentiments--candidly disclosed in a letter dated 28 October 1947: "I wish to God we (she and GS) had gone together as I always so fatuously thought we would--a bomb--a shipwreck--just anything but this." ABT died 60 years after she and GS met in 1907. By the time of her death she had already accomplished her task of getting GS's unpublished manuscripts into print. She had even written her memoir and had gone back to the Roman Catholic faith where she was baptized as an infant (GS died not believing in the afterlife, "dead is dead" she wrote in one of her novels) and had been praying for GS, her "Baby Woojums", hoping they will meet again in heaven. I hope they did.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-10-21 00:00:00 Pete Taylor This book made me feel so badly for Ms. Toklas. Facing life alone for years and years after losing one's soulmate is difficult enough without having to deal with obnoxious in-laws and much more. However, I love reading letters and Toklas writes to her friends frankly and honestly.