Reviews

Artemisia by Alexandra Lapierre

alyssajcori's review against another edition

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4.0

I loved this book! It combines my interest in history and art, and was the perfect read ahead of a trip coming up to Florence and Rome. This historical novel tells the story of Artemisia, a female painter in Italy, and her father, a renowned artist, as they go through challenges to their dynamic and propriety.

I learned about how Italians viewed crime in the 1600s, how a woman made her way in a completely male field, and how artists were not valued only for their work but also for their ability to cross class and national divides.

daydreams's review against another edition

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informative fast-paced

3.5

amber_c's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

hk_books's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated

3.0

bump3rcars's review against another edition

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3.0

Formatted so weirdly…dnf because of that

crafty_nivette's review against another edition

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3.0

I thought this was harder to read. Says fiction, but it felt like non-fiction half the time. Hard to get into at times.

brose's review

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Was too much for my brain at the time. Will return to. 

astrea's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

3.75

enutzman's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoyed the early parts of this book, but the second half really dragged. It is really a non-fiction book that is enhanced with fiction rather than a true novel. There are long passages of background on the 30 years war and the relationship of Venice with England. I’m glad to have finished.

mikebond's review against another edition

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5.0

Je ne connaissais pas Alexandra Lapierre avant de trouver ses livres en librairie. J'en ai acheté deux et je me suis plongé dans la lecture de ce roman sur Artemisia Gentileschi, la plus célèbre femme peintre italienne.
Ce roman est le fruit de cinq ans de travail sur le champ, à travers l'Italie, la France, l'Angleterre. L'auteure se base sur un tas de manuscrit et sur une bibliographie exhaustive. A la fin de l'ouvrage, elle fournit au lecteur beaucoup de matériel qui aide à comprendre sa démarche.
Je craignais que sa méthode fondée sur les documents (qui sont souvent cité à l'intérieur du roman) ne donne comme résultat un livre ennuyeux. Le talent d'Alexandra Lapierre réside, au contraire, dans sa capacité d'écrire un roman historique plein de références, mais en même temps très agréable à lire.
J'ai appris énormément de choses sur Artemisia et son père Orazio Gentileschi, sur l'art et l'histoire d'Europe au XVIe siècle. Un ouvrage magistral! J'ai hâte d'en lire d'autres!