In Michèle Gerber Klein’s new biography, Surreal, Gala Dalí gets her due . . . . Gerber Klein concludes that Gala Dalí was more than a muse and more than a partner—that what she did was unquantifiable. But one thing is certain: Whatever else, she was a woman who knew her own worth.”
— New York Times Book Review
“Ms. Klein ably sifts the performative from the genuine . . . . her thorough sleuthing piles up evidence for Gala’s legacy. Unsung no longer, the Svengali behind Surrealism’s antics gets her due.” — Wall Street Journal
“The first serious, deeply researched biography of a woman long overshadowed by the men she inspired. Drawing on untranslated diaries, previously unexamined archives, and interviews with Gala’s granddaughter and former confidantes, Klein restores agency and dimension to a figure often flattened by history.” — Vogue
“There was never just one genius in the Dalí household. This revealing biography of the incredibly influential but often overlooked Gala Dalí dives into the life of the woman who was known as the Mother of Surrealism, and explores how her taste in culture, art, and fashion, paired with her sharp mind for business, helped influence generations of artists and their admirers, and created a roadmap for creative collaboration that was decades ahead of its time.” — Town & Country
“An overdue, comprehensive biography of a Surrealist instigator. Klein’s account of one of the driving forces of the Surrealist movement is wonderfully thorough and rescues Gala Dalí from being cast in the role of 'mere' muse, reclaiming her as the definitive artist and collaborator she was . . . . convincingly demonstrates how Gala was a singular player in the development of a major 20th-century art movement…” — Kirkus Reviews
“A textured, comprehensive portrait . . . . 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.” — Publishers Weekly
"Michele Gerber Klein—at long last—gives Gala Dalí the close-up she deserves. When Gala met Salvador, they met their destinies. The more she erased herself in marrying the soon-to-be world-famous Surrealist, the more she recreated herself as muse, fan wife, money manager, life coach, artistic collaborator, and model for some of the most sensuous portraits of a mature woman ever painted. Surreal takes us backstage at the endless performance piece that was the couple’s life’s work and life’s play—a salient ingredient—and reshuffles art history along the way. Pour a stiff Pernod or Absinthe, kick back, and enjoy this delightfully sparking read." — Brad Gooch, author of Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring
"Gerber Klein’s exquisitely portrayed and wickedly amusing account is a romp through the annals and escapades of an avant-garde movement that profoundly informs artistic discourse today. The life of Gala Dalí offers a through line of the Surrealist movement linking many of its key artists and writers. Intimate tales of Salvador and Gala Dalí, André Breton, Paul Éluard, Max Ernst, Tristan Tzara, and Federico García Lorca abound. As wife, lover, muse, model, artist, collaborator, performer, chronicler, editor, designer, publicist, and entrepreneur, Gala’s unique hybrid role initially repelled but ultimately deeply influenced her period’s male-dominated cultural clique." — Adam D. Weinberg, Director Emeritus, Whitney Museum of American Art
"Original, engaging, and fiercely intelligent, Gala Dalí has at last inspired a biography that shares her own best qualities. In this brilliant book, Klein illuminates the crucial importance that Gala held not only for her famous husbands and lovers, but for avant-garde art as a whole." — Caroline Weber, author of Proust’s Duchess and Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution
"Echoing her subject’s vim, at a fast clip that never lags and often surprises, Michèle Gerber Klein shows how Gala Dalí put the 'extra' in her extraordinary, century-defining life. Designer, author, model, fashion icon, mother, publicist, business partner, architect of her husband’s career—Gala’s ambitions took over whatever room and role she found herself in. Surreal is a spirited journey around the world and through a life that was an enigmatic work of art." — Prudence Peiffer, author of The Slip and director of content at MoMA, New York
"This compelling biography explores the making of Gala Dalí, a force of life who was not only ahead of her time and but a pivotal figure within Surrealism's creative maelstrom. More than fascinating expose of Gala's life and times, Surreal sheds new light on the artistic themes that resonate so powerfully with generations of artists that have followed, including those with whom I have a heartfelt connection." — Manuela Wirth, Chairwoman and President of Hauser & Wirth
"A vivid portrait of a formidable woman who was by turns an inspiration, a force, a muse, lover, and a tiger." — Daphne Merkin, author of 22 Minutes of Unconditional Love
