WINNER OF THE 2016 MARFIELD PRIZE,
THE NATIONAL AWARD FOR ARTS WRITING
"This empathetic and imaginative biography, deeply researched, is anchored by the friendship between two of the twentieth century’s greatest artists." —The New Yorker
"Corbett, as any fine artist, has produced a work of great effect, and leaves a lasting and indelible mark on the reader." —NPR
"A beautiful exercise in compact, interwoven double biography." —The Times Literary Supplement
"Spectacular . . . a layered and lyrical inquiry." —Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
“Pacy and vivid . . . An enjoyable biography.” —Financial Times
"Penetrating and teeming . . . a vibrant, clear, and intelligent work." —Harvard Review
"A must-read.” —New York Observer
"An enthralling exploration of the complex relationship between two creative giants." —The London Magazine
“A riveting study of friendship.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Writing in a lively, fluid style, Corbett deftly . . . draws an evocative picture of Paris at the turn of the century.” —Art in America
"Engagingly written . . . warmly recommended." —Ritchie Robertson, The Art Newspaper
"At long last . . . the book this story deserves." —Hyperallergic
“Corbett's deep knowledge of her subjects accessibly reveals the strong connections—and various differences—between [Rilke and Rodin]. . . . An excellent look at two men of incredible talent.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A smartly written biography.” —Publishers Weekly
“In honeyed, knowing prose, Rachel Corbett twines two great serpents of art: the suppleness of Rodin’s malleable flesh and eroticism and Rilke’s endless lyrical rivers. New portals of aesthetic intonations open; invisible elements come into sight.” —Jerry Saltz, senior art critic, New York Magazine
“Charming and funny, Rachel Corbett renders turn-of-the-twentieth-century Paris in all its gritty glory, illustrating how the same place that saw ‘Baudelaire charge through the streets waving a gun and Balzac nearly starve to death’ could foster a magical artistic relationship like this one.” —Ada Calhoun, author of St. Marks Is Dead
“In telling the story of what Rilke and Rodin shared, Rachel Corbett reconstructs the dramas of an entire past world, with its characters and customs, epiphanies and heartbreaks. At the same time, she has managed the neat trick of producing the rare work of intellectual history that reads as a vital guide to what it means to be a thinking, feeling artist in the present." —Ben Davis, author of 9.5 Theses on Art and Class
“The old master, grizzled, unforgiving, daunting; a young man, neurasthenic, brilliant, full of feeling. You Must Change Your Life is the story of the unlikely friendship between Auguste Rodin and Rainer Maria Rilke, two men grappling with questions of life, art, and modernity in early 20th century Paris. Rachel Corbett has written an elegant and moving account of what was a cultural turning point, seen through the eyes of two very different artists.” —Luke Barr, author of Provence, 1970
"What Corbett discovers in her expansive research . . . is an examination of the gritty how and why of artistic creation, as well as an acknowledgement of the costs of such a life." —Brooklyn Rail
"How should an artist live?' Corbett’s penetrating story does not—as Rilke or Rodin would have—offer instruction. She relies instead on the rich examples that emerge when an artist’s life is examined with great care." —Jonathon Sturgeon, Artnet News
"Splendid . . . Where does inspiration come from? Corbett looks into life as deeply as is possible for answers." —Pac Pobric, The Art Newspaper
"Corbett's storytelling is outstanding . . . You Must Change Your Life is an intriguing network of ideas and movements, a companion that makes for hard parting." —The Quarterly Conversation