Whitney Chadwick

Lots of people are famous, but much fewer people are famous and have famous partners. How do two famous people get together? How does the relationship affect their craft? This book examines some of the most important creative couples of the last 125 years or so. This book is an underappreciated gem. If people haven't read about it or heard about it, then they should. The fact that many movies have been made about these couples makes me wonder if screenwriters used this book as a referral.

The book is very diverse. It includes straight, gay male, and lesbian couplings. It includes writers, painters, and sculptors. It speaks of cross-generational couples and interracial couples. Most importantly, it doesn't imply that all these couples lasted forever. Sometimes, it emphasizes divorce and break-ups in its analyses. The book has few male authors; so in terms of subject and writers, it's in many ways a women's studies text.

The book is thick but that is because of the huge endnotes and reprint permissions. The work is rigorous, but it doesn't take long to read individual chapters. I just can't believe I never heard of this text before. It's simply precious, and almost priceless.… (more)