What do readers think of Shocking Paris by Stanley Meisler? Write your own review.

If this book is categorized as non-fiction, biographical, then where is the index and bibliographies with references to the "facts." Or, should this be categorized as historical fiction? In either case, I found it disjointed, as the author goes back and forth, chronologically and, in my opinion, does not complete any particular artist.

When I requested this book, I didn't really know very much about some of the artists and their lives. I found their stories so interesting. Soutine teaching himself to paint. The hardships and fears they went through during the war.
I belong to two book groups and have told them about the book and they are looking forward to reading it.
An added plus is to discover one of Chagalls paintings is hanging in the Art Institute of Chicago. I am making a point to see it the next time I'm there.

I was fascinated by this book. The artists who were profiled are among my favorite of the 20th Century. I was particularly interested in how the issue of antisemitism in France affected each of them. In many ways, their Jewishness made them outsiders in the community of artists in Paris at the time, and had a profound effect on their views of the world and their art.

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book but once I started to read it I was quite surprised by how quickly it sucked me in. The story of a group of Jewish painters,mostly grouped around Soutine and Chagall,and their time spent in Paris.From their beginnings as artists trying to get by, to the darlings of the scene to the Nazi occupation and their trials, if you are at least a little interested in art and artists this is the book you should read. I'm glad I had a chance to.

Frequent Smithsonian Magazine contributor, Stanley Meisler, takes one into the art world of early 20th Century Paris, focusing on foreign-born artists, many of them Jewish, drawn to the City of Lights by its relatively free-wheeling and permissive culture.

Of central interest is Lithuanian Chaim Soutine (1893-1943), who personifies many central themes: poverty-ridden youth; desperate struggles as Left-Bank artist; volcanically brilliant work; and tempestuous friendships with other members of the School of Paris (as this circle of foreign-born artists is known) such as Modigliani and Chagall.

As an editor at Smithsonian points out, Meisler's prose is "free of flapdoodle." Aimed at the general reader, this work is an entertaining glimpse into an era when Paris was still the art world's vibrant center.

Not as good as others Meisler has written. Seemed that he started with one idea and then didn't have enough for a book and went back and added more information. Perhaps a good editor will smooth it out.

This is a five star story with 2 star writing and organization. I wish the author had chosen a rough chronological order with short side trips into other persons and world happenings. As it was, I found very hard to keep track of the primary subject's - Chaim Soutine - story. The book also suffered - perhaps because it jumped around quite a bit - from very noticeable repetition of phrasing and contradictory statements. A map of Paris and of Frances would have been quite helpful for those who aren't familiar with the geography. And a listing of the various painters with birthdates, birthplaces, major works, etc. would have been useful.

In SHOCKING PARIS, Stanley Meisler has painted an informative narrative of Eastern European expatriate artists--Modigliani, Chagall, and Soutine--in the School of Paris between World War I and the beginning of World War II. The relevance of the artists, their works, the interplay among them and others in their lives along with the history of the times was illuminating and compelling. I was especially drawn into the descriptions of the lives, hardships, and paintings of those artists with whom I was familiar but also with those to whom I was newly introduced.
SHOCKING PARIS was an interesting, informative read but not a captivating one--perhaps it would be better suited for an art oriented reader.