The vast majority of studies about Gertrude Stein begin by announcing the curious fact that she is primarily notable as a personality, celebrity or icon and seldom has been, at least until her recuperation in the last several decades, taken seriously as a writer. Stein is well-known for her phrase “a rose is a rose is a rose” and frequently described by epithets like: “widely ridiculed and seldom enjoyed” and “most publicized but least-read writer” of the twentieth century. Many critics have attempted to explain Stein's unusual reception, particularly because it differs considerably from other modernist writers who successfully achieved canonical status in their own lifetimes (Joyce, Eliot, Proust, Woolf). Some critics argue that Stein's

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First published 28 March 2003

Citation: Leick, Karen. "Gertrude Stein". The Literary Encyclopedia. 28 March 2003.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4206, accessed 9 February 2010.]