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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This prose in this book was so hollow and wooden. While I appreciate the author attempting to go beyond a turbulent love story by incorporating the politics of the art world, it was actually pretty boring. Would not recommend.
It was a well written read and an interesting story and as I don't know a ton about Camille Claudel I'll assume that the author did her work researching the story. That said, it read too much like a romance novel, with heaving breasts and stray curls needing to be put back into place. I know it's about a romantic relationship, but I don't care about every hair on her head.
I won this book as a FirstRead.
Rodin's Lover tells the story of Camille Claudel, a sculptor in the late 19th and early 20th century, from a girl of 17 in 1881 until she is committed to an asylum for her schizophrenia in March 1913. She spent much of that time as a student and lover of Auguste Rodin, and the book alternates between their two points of view.
I felt sorry for Camille for the difficulties she went through, largely because of being born in the wrong time. If she lived in modern times, she could have been taken seriously as an artist instead of being thought of as second tier for being a woman. Also, if she lived now, she might have been able to get some medicine to help control her schizophrenia. Camille did not come across as a particularly likeable woman, and I wonder how much of that had to do with her personality versus her mental illness.
Heather Webb did a good job researching Claudel's and Rodin's lives and filling in the blanks where necessary to make an enjoyable novel.
Rodin's Lover tells the story of Camille Claudel, a sculptor in the late 19th and early 20th century, from a girl of 17 in 1881 until she is committed to an asylum for her schizophrenia in March 1913. She spent much of that time as a student and lover of Auguste Rodin, and the book alternates between their two points of view.
I felt sorry for Camille for the difficulties she went through, largely because of being born in the wrong time. If she lived in modern times, she could have been taken seriously as an artist instead of being thought of as second tier for being a woman. Also, if she lived now, she might have been able to get some medicine to help control her schizophrenia. Camille did not come across as a particularly likeable woman, and I wonder how much of that had to do with her personality versus her mental illness.
Heather Webb did a good job researching Claudel's and Rodin's lives and filling in the blanks where necessary to make an enjoyable novel.
Camille Claudel seems like such a potentially fascinating character, but this book did not do much for me. The book tells the story of Claudel's relastionship with Auguste Rodin as a student, protege, muse, and lover. There is lots of grist in this relationship for a compelling story, but the characters were not fleshed out enough for me to enjoy the book or care much for anyone involved.
Claudel is a very talented artist. Her mercurial attitude towards other artists, especially other women artists was very puzzling. While the author touches on Claudel's mental illness, the rather capricious nature of most of Claudel's relationships left me puzzled. She seemed like a terrible friend, so I wish there was more of an exploration about her friendships and why she was so willing to toss some people aside, yet expecting much more of them towards herself. Some of her abrasiveness shows her pioneering spirit to achieve what was nearly impossible for women to do at the time and her flaunting of convention. At other times, she just seems like a self-centered jerk.
Rodin also comes off as unlikeable. The author does show the nebulous nature of Claudel and Rodin's working relationship. He was a teacher to her, and both seemed to inspire each other. How much Rodin copied off of Claudel, or vice versa, is very hard to say. What was inspiration, what was homage, and what was stealing and appropriation?
The relationship of Rodin and Rose Beuret, who had a child together, could have been rich material too. If I understood why Rodin stuck with Beuret, all while having a romance with Claudel, it would have humanized him. Insight into the complexities of this love triangle would have made Claudel more understandable to me as well. Rodin, in the story, was utterly enthralled with Claudel, but never fully committed, so he just seems like a cad to both Claudel and Beuret.
Read for the Cincinnati Art Museum "See the Story" program meeting on March 16, 2019. Many people liked the book more than I did, so that was a success. Based on the topic of relationships between artists in 19th Century Paris and women trying to achieve success in a sexist art world, this paralleled [b:I Always Loved You|18114101|I Always Loved You|Robin Oliveira|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1376418353s/18114101.jpg|25441331], which we read previously.
Claudel is a very talented artist. Her mercurial attitude towards other artists, especially other women artists was very puzzling. While the author touches on Claudel's mental illness, the rather capricious nature of most of Claudel's relationships left me puzzled. She seemed like a terrible friend, so I wish there was more of an exploration about her friendships and why she was so willing to toss some people aside, yet expecting much more of them towards herself. Some of her abrasiveness shows her pioneering spirit to achieve what was nearly impossible for women to do at the time and her flaunting of convention. At other times, she just seems like a self-centered jerk.
Rodin also comes off as unlikeable. The author does show the nebulous nature of Claudel and Rodin's working relationship. He was a teacher to her, and both seemed to inspire each other. How much Rodin copied off of Claudel, or vice versa, is very hard to say. What was inspiration, what was homage, and what was stealing and appropriation?
The relationship of Rodin and Rose Beuret, who had a child together, could have been rich material too. If I understood why Rodin stuck with Beuret, all while having a romance with Claudel, it would have humanized him. Insight into the complexities of this love triangle would have made Claudel more understandable to me as well. Rodin, in the story, was utterly enthralled with Claudel, but never fully committed, so he just seems like a cad to both Claudel and Beuret.
Read for the Cincinnati Art Museum "See the Story" program meeting on March 16, 2019. Many people liked the book more than I did, so that was a success. Based on the topic of relationships between artists in 19th Century Paris and women trying to achieve success in a sexist art world, this paralleled [b:I Always Loved You|18114101|I Always Loved You|Robin Oliveira|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1376418353s/18114101.jpg|25441331], which we read previously.
This book came up short. I think that this book had the potential to be EXCELLENT; the premise was really good and the overall story was intriguing...but it just didn't get there. I will say that 'the madness' that the author was able to portray was very captivating. I do wish the character development was better and the plot stronger.
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love the historical fiction sub-genre of art fiction. You get not only the atmosphere of the time period being explored, but are also treated to the beauty of the artist’s pieces. It requires that the author be both knowledgeable of the time period and art. It is not an easy feat to describe through words what a masterpiece looks like – it is so much easier to just look at it – but that is what the author must do here. It’s an extra challenge and can add so much depth to the narrative.
In Rodin’s Lover, Heather Webb does an admirable job of meeting this challenge. I have no prior knowledge of the works of Camille Claudel, however I do have some knowledge of the works of Rodin to draw from. Webb draws comparisons between the two artists, tutor and pupil, which allowed me to create enough of a visual in my head to imagine Camille’s own art pieces. Additionally, the setting was well modeled, creating a tactile experience to Paris which is lacking in some other novels that I have read of the period. There is one scene that stands out in particular in my mind that perfectly illustrates this skill – when Camille takes her brother Paul to his first salon experience. There is an opium smoke filled room, lovers in dark shadows, ample imbibing of alcohol, and more. A beautifully expressed scene.
Webb also crafts very real characters – all with their own types of flaws. You can respect Camille and her desire to make a name for herself in a male dominated world, but at the same time be pulled in the direction of the heart as well. She is a brutally honest, no-nonsense type of woman, who will tell you what she thinks – and she isn’t someone that you exactly like all of the time. Rodin I sometimes found to be whiny and clingy, despite his great artistic drive and desire to try to enhance Camille’s art. But these are the things that make characters on a flat page, have three-dimensional depth.
Heather Webb has knocked this book out of the park and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
This review was originally posted at The Maiden's Court blog.
In Rodin’s Lover, Heather Webb does an admirable job of meeting this challenge. I have no prior knowledge of the works of Camille Claudel, however I do have some knowledge of the works of Rodin to draw from. Webb draws comparisons between the two artists, tutor and pupil, which allowed me to create enough of a visual in my head to imagine Camille’s own art pieces. Additionally, the setting was well modeled, creating a tactile experience to Paris which is lacking in some other novels that I have read of the period. There is one scene that stands out in particular in my mind that perfectly illustrates this skill – when Camille takes her brother Paul to his first salon experience. There is an opium smoke filled room, lovers in dark shadows, ample imbibing of alcohol, and more. A beautifully expressed scene.
Webb also crafts very real characters – all with their own types of flaws. You can respect Camille and her desire to make a name for herself in a male dominated world, but at the same time be pulled in the direction of the heart as well. She is a brutally honest, no-nonsense type of woman, who will tell you what she thinks – and she isn’t someone that you exactly like all of the time. Rodin I sometimes found to be whiny and clingy, despite his great artistic drive and desire to try to enhance Camille’s art. But these are the things that make characters on a flat page, have three-dimensional depth.
Heather Webb has knocked this book out of the park and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
This review was originally posted at The Maiden's Court blog.
This book reminded me how much I love historical fiction, even though I don't read it as often these days.
This was beautifully written and well-researched and compelled me to watch the French film again after decades.
Webb does an amazing job portraying the passion the two artists have for their work and for each other. I felt the mounting fear and tension just as Camille did when bouts of madness were coming upon her.
This was beautifully written and well-researched and compelled me to watch the French film again after decades.
Webb does an amazing job portraying the passion the two artists have for their work and for each other. I felt the mounting fear and tension just as Camille did when bouts of madness were coming upon her.