Wen Gott liebt, den schickt er NICHT, NIEMALS in eine Künstlerumgebung. Ich schließe das nach dem Studium dieses hervorragenden Buches von Schönheit, Kunst und Narzissmus.

Alma Schindler, die Tochter des Landschaftsmalers Emil Jakob Schindler, kommt sehr früh in Kontakt mit kreativen Menschen, sie ist ein Vaterkind. Ihr Vater stirbt früh, nachdem er ultimative Anerkennung durch den Kronprinzen von Österreich erfuhr, ausgerechnet auf Sylt und unnötigerweise an einem Blinddarm. Auch der Stiefvater ist ein Künstler, Carl Moll. Das Leben von Alma stimmt sich auf kreatives Moll nach dem Tod des geliebten Vaters. Aber auch auf ungeahnte Höhen. Die Ausschläge bei kreativen Menschen sind eben höher und tiefer als bei anderen Personen.

Alma Schindler war die damals wohl schönste Frau in Wien, früh schon begehrt und heiß umworben. Sie ist selbstverständlich dabei, wenn sich berühmte, kreative Menschen treffen und spielt Klavier, komponiert auch. Die Kultur in Wien, Theater, Musik, Kunst und Oper, alles vor der Haustür, und sie mit ihrer „belebenden Beliebtheit“ mittendrin. Diesen Begriff habe ich aus der Strudlhofstiege (Roman von Heimito von Doderer), einem Roman, der auch die Wiener Zeit vor und kurz nach dem 1. WK beschreibt.

Sehr lesenswert und voll schönster, oft aufgeblasener österreichischer Dampfnudelstrudlwörter.
Schönheit wirkt belebend meist bei den anderen. In Gegenwart einer hübschen Frau meinen Männer besondere Mätzchen und Sätzchen bilden zu müssen, kein Wunder, dass junge Frauen dabei schnell gelangweilt sind und narzisstische Züge entwickeln. Ihre Ehe mit Gustav Mahler ist eine Desaster und endet mit dem qualvollen Tod des Komponisten. Schon das würde für ein ganzes Leben reichen, alleine der Tod einer Tochter mit Gustav Mahler in der Villa am Wörthersee setzt einem beim Lesen zu.

Aber AM geht weiter, liebt und verstrickt sich, stürzt sich in immer neue Abenteuer. Gropius, Kokoschka, Werfel sind nur einige Namen ihrer Abenteuer, die ihrem Leben den Drive geben. Ein unwirklich, unglaubliches Buch über eine Frau, die das Leben wohl in allen Höhen und auch den tiefsten Tiefen ausgekostet hat. ( )

Had Oliver Hilmes geschreven "Alma Mahler-Werfel was een ijdele, rancuneuse, laffe, anti-semitische, egoistische zuipster" had hij in 1 zin gezegd waarvoor hij nu 400 blz. nodig had. ( )

Oliver Hilmes has done a truly remarkable job digging into the life of Alma. However, I wish he would've chosen a less despicable person to do so. (Though who says who should investigate something?!?) Alma seems to have had nothing much going for her except for her money (average looks, terribly bigoted, probably looked like a "fun" girl at a party, all surface), and her telling you about how wonderful she was. People like this make me want to run in the other direction, and were it not for Hilmes' writing, I would've dropped this book early on. I think that says a lot. I requested this book because I love classical music, and I'm trying to read more biographies of composers and the people in their lives. And all I can say is "Wow". A muse, I certainly couldn't call her, but clearly several men were drawn to her like a moth to a flame. A truly interesting portrait of a truly terrible woman, I'd only recommend it with caution. Still, kudos to Oliver Hilmes! ( )

This is the biography of Alma Mahler, a woman who had a long term relationship with many men in the artistic community in Europe in the early 1900's including Gustave Mahler (composer) and Franz Werfel (author) among others. So, was she really an inspiring muse which she portrayed herself throughout her life or was she merely a woman with an eye for talent who uses her sexuality to latch onto a number of talented men. The author's summary indicates he favors the second option. This is a well researched interesting book that will greatly appeal to a very narrow audience. ( )

The reason I requested this book, a biography of Alma Mahler was the description of her in the overview. Specifically "Her detractors saw her as a self aggrandizing social climber, a boozy, bigoted, vengeful harlot - or as one contemporary put it, "She was a grande dame and at the same time a cesspool." To put it mildly she was all those things and then some. The author did a really excellent job in his research of this narcissistic spoiled woman. I cannot see how anyone in their right mind would find her attractive as she was really not that physically attractive and had such a unearned over inflated opinion of herself. Her level of antisemitism was astounding and yet she managed to attract two Jewish husbands whom she tortured with her unfaithfulness and vile attitude. It has been said she was attracted to, and attracted genius's, but the 'genius's' she had relationships with were say to put it mildly, weirdos, especially the artist Kokoschka. Frankly if she had not had money she would have been nothing. I think if she were a modern woman of today she would have turned out to be a corporate raider, or some kind of female version of Bernie Madoff (and probably in prison). The only thing it seems that Alma Mahler seems to have accomplished in life was the act of torturing and hurting others while always playing the victim. Despite her disgusting character I found the book interesting and I came away with a better understanding of early nineteenth century Europe and the life style of the times. Recommended. ( )