Far from underestimating Magritte, Danchev’s picture of him is pointillist and enormous in scope. It is full of shock, for the casual Magritte fan who knows little about his life.

As a whole, the book is accessible, factually reliable and, at 439 pages, free of the inflated heft of so many recent biographies.

[A] diligent and insightful biography.

[A] thoroughly and gruesomely entertaining biography.

... an insightful and broad-reaching new biography by the late Alex Danchev that nonetheless may leave some important clues underexplored.

... lavish, authoritative.

Alex Danchev’s posthumously published book — the final chapter was written by Sarah Whitfield from his notes — unpicks the philosophical basis thoughtfully and with real enlightenment. I would have enjoyed more investigation of the daily life of this most outwardly respectable of artists.

Sinuous.

Danchev was a researcher of ferocious meticulousness.

[A] monumental biography of the inimitable surrealist artist.