The Matisse Stories - A.S. Byatt

Byatt’s The Matisse Stories, first published in1993, features three short stories, each indirectly describing a painting by Henri Matisse that has inspired Byatt at some point during her life. These tales feature Matisse as a background in the worlds of a number of everyday people and the minor crisis which evolve around them. This is simply a beautifully written, spell binding book. I picked up this book because of a love of Matisse akin to Byatt. My positive awareness of the reputation of this author meant that it didn’t stay on the shelf for long. A short book I devoured it in two short sittings and it left me desperate for more. The first ...  Read the complete review