The Persistence of Memory: A Biography of Dali

by Meredith E. Smith

Draws on previously untapped materials to chronicle Dali's early years, his relationship with Garcia Lorca and Andre Breton, his collaboration with Luis Bunuel on his first surrealist film, and his tormented marriage to Gala

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

465 pages, Hardcover

First published October 26, 1992

Reviews

[Nicole C. (using StoryGraph more these days)]

A fascinating look into the man who was the embodiment of the Surrealist movement. I learned a lot that I didn't know; who knew that his wife was such a greedy person? She, apparently, controlled every step of his life, and even would lock him in his studio in order to finish pieces that she had commissioned him to complete. I've always been fascinated by his work, and this book was a very good introduction to the man behind it.

[Alan]

Sto leggendo questo libro in italiano, in pezze. Che bella, che suocera di Gala Eluard pensava che ha rubato la marmellata!

[Caleb Michael Sarvis]

I don't know how to evaluate a biography, but I learned a lot and it was fun.

[Chad Allen]

I was gifted this book in my youth, and found it a fascinating read about surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Maybe worth a reread.

[Bubbles by Char]

The best part of this book was the end. And that is not meant to be funny. But the end is told more like a sad story that a biography. It was so sad at the end. There was just so much technical information given that it detracted from his life and made it difficult for me to read. I loved the quotes in the book. His lfe was so interesting. And very sad. The beginning and end were the best- but it dragged in parts. If you want to know about Dali this book gives many facts. I am now going to read his Secret Life book, to see how he wanted his life perceived.

[Mark]

I don't read a lot of biographies but I couldn't stop reading this. It was refreshing to actually learn something about Dali, a figure cloaked in so much myth, much of it his own making. With this as my guide, I'm looking to now tackle some of Dali's own takes on his life, some of which (according to Etherington-Smith and others) offer more distortion than truth. So be it! With something of a roadmap, the offroad is less intimidating.

[Derek Baldwin]

Avida Dollars really was a mucky little pup, as this biog makes very clear. Good stuff.

[Jane Snyder]

This is an excellent biography that adds detail to the amazing Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.