The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait

by Frida Kahlo

An intimate self-portrait of one of the most renowned Mexican artists of the twentieth century, The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait is "a visual document, engaging the eye with a volcanic profusion of penned-and-painted imagery" (New York Times).

Published in its entirety, Frida Kahlo's amazing illustrated journal documents the last 10 years of her turbulent life. These passionate, often surprising, intimate...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810959542
• ISBN13: 9780810959545
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Abrams Books
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 2.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.5"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Love Frida

I loved this book! I can't seem to put it down I do have to say that I would recommend it for billingual readers you will get a better understanding of the book. It is translated in english towards the back but, spanish readers will benifit the most out of the book because you will be able to understand Frida's humor about Diego. The first part of the diary is all in spanish and was written by Frida. The 2nd half is the english translation that will show a small replica of her drawings with the english translation. Some words are better left in spanish because the translation in english will not do them justice. Frida expresses her feelings so well that you can't help but feel her burning passion for diego and her lonliness. Frida was an intersting individual and her art is magnificent. She was an artist and a poet. Frida's diary is very morbid to say the least but, I love it. She expressed exactly what she felt at that exact moment. Her explanation to the way she sees each color is fantastic. I have gone through her paintings to see how many times she used the color Yellow. Buy the book to find out what this color means. Her physical pain is obvious and her paintings speak out for them selves. There is no doubt she was madly in love with diego above all. I learned much more about her through this diary. Please buy the Frida movie starring Selma Hayek things will make more sense to you. The author of this book uses every day language to translate her art. It is a must have book, I will definetly read it over and over. The book is absolutely a must have for Frida addicts like myself. I sometimes get lost while I'm reading it because I feel as if I can see and feel what she is describing. I absolutely love Frida and her artwork. Don't hesitate to buy this book it is worth every dollar you spend.

Exceptional reproduction of actual diary pages, in full

Enrique Torres' review is 100% accurate, so I just want to add a few additional comments. The reproduction of the diary pages is nothing short of amazing - apparently scanned with a high quality scanner, or perhaps photographed digitally or with film and then digitized. The colors of both the writing and the images appear exceptionally accurate - Frida used many different colored pencils in her diary. Even penciled notations look like pencil, ballpoint ink looks like ink, and all pages are printed on high-quality semi-gloss paper. The second half, which contains the English translations, also contains small black & white reproductions of each page translated and of each image described/explicated. Makes it easy to return to the first half and look at the original full-color page. CAVEAT & RECOMMENDATION: The book I have is the 2005 hardback ed. published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. I have not seen nor can I speak of any other published editions. I would buy this edition - the price is more than reasonable and the quality top-notch.

The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait , A Review by Cheryl Millard

Owning this book is really the closest you will become in owning an actual piece of kahlos intimate belongings even if it is only a reproduction.The books cover is a faithful reproduction of the diarys cover, you feel as if you are holding in your hands the actual diary,The pages are reproduced in a way that shows where the writing on the other side of the page has started to come through or where the paint,ink and marker has bled .You get a direct insight into the inner thoughts of this tormented,but highly talented person, tormented by the chronic pain from a life altering injury at such a young age as well as tormented by her love for Diego Rivera,miscarriages,opperations to alieviate the constant pain ,Frida weaves her art into words.The diary also shows her humorous side in making do with what life has dealt her with her dark sense of brash humor in a poetic yet sad way, we cannot help feeling as if we are looking into something forbidden expecting her to appear behind us as we look into the most fragile part of her life. In the back is a page by page translation for those of us who cannot read spanish, you will find this very helpful.This is another book that anyone who loves Kahlo should not be without,it is really well done in all aspects.

Now my Frida Kahlo Library is Complete!

To actually see the pages of Frida's diary (in full color) is amazing. Her diary is a work of art. Although heart-wrenching to read, her poetry, musings, and, quite possibly, 'random neural firings' give us a very personal picture of her last days. No Frida library is complete without it.

Graphically rich!

If you are expecting a standard diary, full of descriptions of what happened today, who visited for breakfast, and what Frida had for dinner - then don't order this book. Frida's diary is an amazing combination of text and paintings. She writes random comments with little consideration of form. In fact, many of the things she writes are random lists of words, or letters to loves that are never sent, or even descriptions of fantastic events that never occur outside of her imagination. It's like a huge and colorful experiment in free writing and unconscious expression. Combine these words with the sketches, paintings, and drawing scattered about - sometimes on pages of their own, sometimes in the midst of words that are written around the edges of the artwork - and you have an incredible and extremely unique diary. Personally, I found it inspiring to read and have incorporated many of the elements into my own journal. (If you are looking for a way to break out of writers block, or artists block, I would seriously consider getting a copy of this book and mimicking the technique. It's very freeing and has a way of generating ideas.)