Surreal: The Extraordinary Life of Gala Dalí

Journalist Klein (Charles James) paints a textured, comprehensive portrait of the “mother of Surrealism.” Born in Russia on an unknown day in a disputed year (either 1890 or 1894), Gala Dalí (née Diakonova) grew up a curious but sickly child in a volatile family. She began to hone her artistic eye in 1912 after a nebulous collection of symptoms led to a stay in the Swiss sanatarium where she met, mentored, and edited the writings of Eugène Émile Paul Grindel, who later published as Paul Éluard—a pioneer of the surrealism movement and eventually her first husband. Their marriage began to crumble in 1929 after Gala entered into an affair with Salvador Dalí, whom she married in 1934. She quickly became deeply enmeshed in Dalí’s career, from negotiating contracts and payments to serving as an unofficial “life coach” (her influence on his work was so profound that after 1930 he signed many of his paintings with both their names). Klein depicts her subject as an intuitive, dynamic force who harnessed her good taste and keen eye to “spot promise and coax it into bloom.” The author also provides an intriguing look into the growth of the Surrealist movement and the unseen power dynamics that underlie how art gets made and who gets credit. Enriched by a novelist’s flair for detail, it’s a worthy tribute to an enigmatic figure in art history. (Apr.)