Living Well Is the Best Revenge

Living Well Is the Best Revenge chronicles the lives of Gerald and Sara Murphy, wealthy American expatriates who became central figures in the 1920s modernist art scene in France. The Murphys hosted artists and writers including Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald at their villa on the French Riviera. The book traces the Murphys' transformation from their traditional New York upbringing to their embrace of avant-garde culture and art in France. Their story intersects with major cultural shifts of the era, as they helped establish the French Riviera as a summer destination and fostered connections between American and European artists. Author Calvin Tomkins reconstructs the Murphys' world through letters, interviews, and historical documents that capture both their public personas and private struggles. The narrative follows their peak years in France through their return to America, revealing how their influence extended beyond their immediate circle. The book examines themes of reinvention, artistic patronage, and the price of living life on one's own terms in the face of social expectations. Through the Murphys' story, Tomkins presents a window into a pivotal moment in modern cultural history.

Readers appreciate the intimate glimpse into Gerald and Sara Murphy's life among 1920s artists and writers in France. Many note the book serves as a complement to Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night, providing real-world context for the novel's characters. Readers highlight: - Concise, elegant writing style - Personal photos and details about the Murphys - Depiction of Lost Generation social circles - Balance of biography and cultural history Main criticisms: - Too brief at 156 pages - Lacks depth on certain relationships - Limited coverage of Sara Murphy's perspective Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (379 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (31 ratings) Several readers mention wanting more details about specific events and relationships. As one Goodreads reviewer notes: "The brevity leaves you wanting more about these fascinating people." Amazon reviewers frequently recommend pairing this with Amanda Vaill's longer Murphy biography "Everybody Was So Young."

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway This memoir captures the expatriate art scene of 1920s Paris through encounters with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and other cultural figures of the era.

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein The book provides an insider's perspective of the Parisian art world through the narrative voice of Stein's partner, documenting their relationships with Picasso, Matisse, and other modernist pioneers.

Life Among the Surrealists by Matthew Josephson This firsthand account chronicles the rise of the Surrealist movement in Paris and New York through the author's connections with Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and their contemporaries.

Paris Was Yesterday by Janet Flanner The collection of letters and dispatches from Paris between 1925 and 1939 documents the cultural life, artistic movements, and social dynamics of the interwar period.

The Lost Generation by Noel Riley Fitch The book traces the interconnected lives of expatriate writers and artists in Paris through the story of Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare and Company bookstore.

🌟 The book chronicles the glamorous lives of Gerald and Sara Murphy, American expatriates who were at the center of the 1920s French Riviera art scene and inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald's characters Dick and Nicole Diver in "Tender Is the Night." 🎨 Author Calvin Tomkins wrote this work in 1971 after meeting Gerald Murphy in 1960, and it began as a profile for The New Yorker magazine before being expanded into a book. 🌅 The Murphys essentially invented the concept of summer on the French Riviera - before them, the wealthy only visited in winter. They transformed the quiet fishing village of Antibes into a summer destination for artists and writers. 🎭 Their circle of friends included Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Cole Porter, Dorothy Parker, and other luminaries of the modernist movement, making their Villa America a legendary gathering place for the creative elite. 📚 The book's title comes from a phrase Gerald Murphy often quoted, which he attributed to George Herbert, reflecting his philosophy of living life fully despite personal tragedies, including the loss of both his sons.