by A. S. Byatt
First published 1993
In these three artful tales, the paintings of Henri Matisse become portals into the intimate lives of women. A chance encounter with a Matisse masterpiece triggers a widow's buried longing. A French teacher is drawn into her student's family drama through a shared love of Matisse. And a renowned artist reflects on her lifelong dance with the mercurial master. Byatt's luminous prose illuminates the surprising connections between seeing and feeling, offering glimpses of the complexity that lies beneath the surface of everyday lives.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, art, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, interconnected-stories, slice-of-life
Period: 20th-century
144 pages · Paperback · Vintage