Gertrude Stein's life-long companion, Alice B. Toklas, is the narrator of this book written by Stein, which describes their life together in Paris from Alice's point of view. Thus,
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklasis not, in fact, Alice B. Toklas's autobiography; instead it is Gertrude Stein's idea of what such a book might look like. Many readers have remarked that, because the book describes Gertrude Stein more than any other person, the book is actually Stein's autobiography of herself. The
Autobiographydoes, however, begin in an almost conventional way with a very brief chapter about Alice's childhood in San Francisco, California, “Before I Came to Paris”. It is also true that much of the book describes Stein's life before she knew Toklas, including childhood memories:…
1624 words
Citation: Leick, Karen. "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 July 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1547, accessed 13 December 2024.]