Shocking Paris: Soutine, Chagall and the Outsiders of Montparnasse
by Stanley Meisler
In want of editing (2/6/2015)
This is a five star story with 2 star writing and organization. I wish the author had chosen a rough chronological order with short side trips into other persons and world happenings. As it was, I found very hard to keep track of the primary subject's - Chaim Soutine - story. The book also suffered - perhaps because it jumped around quite a bit - from very noticeable repetition of phrasing and contradictory statements. A map of Paris and of Frances would have been quite helpful for those who aren't familiar with the geography. And a listing of the various painters with birthdates, birthplaces, major works, etc. would have been useful.
Juliet's Nurse
by Lois Leveen
Enjoyable (7/18/2014)
Books about the little people behind the story are always interesting. A recent book in this vein is Longbourn, the story of the help in Pride and Prejudice. And certainly Downton Abbey taps into this, as well. The character of Angelica, the Nurse, was well developed and her trials and tribulations were plausible and fit with the play's doomed romance theme. I particularly enjoyed the depiction of Verona society and the backstory of the play's characters.
The book failed for me in two parts. The first is "the secret." Given the attention in the book to the importance of everyone knowing their place, I had a hard time believing that Angelica thought revealing the secret would be welcomed by its recipient. It was unclear to me whether this was meant to be a sign that the nurse was a bit unhinged - which would make sense for her actions in the Romeo and Juliet part of the book - or whether the author just needed to flesh that part out.
The second failing was really not the fault of the author but rather the actions of Shakespeare's title characters, inexplicable when seen through the eyes of others. But Angelica's insight into Juliet's final act, "Never suffered and so could not bear the slightest sorrow, the hint of unfilled longing, the least glimmering of loss. And so was lost herself," rang true.
I Am Livia
by Phyllis T. Smith
Piqued My Interest (1/13/2014)
I wasn't very knowledgeable about this period of time so I found this book quite enjoyable in that aspect. I would have enjoyed more discussion of the larger societal and political changes but I can see that that might not be consistent with the point of view of the narrator. As to the main character, the intelligent woman chafing at her prescribed role isn't particularly groundbreaking in historical fiction but it was well done.
The Spy Lover
by Kiana Davenport
Horrifying and Beautiful (12/16/2012)
This is one of those books that is both hard to pick up and hard to put down. Nearly every page contained a tragedy or degradation but it was all so wonderfully written that I was enthralled. The three main characters are well drawn and their actions and feelings are believable. I highly recommend it.
The Art Forger
by B. A. Shapiro
Interesting (9/19/2012)
I read this in stops and starts until about halfway through even though I found the descriptions of copying/forging a painting to be fascinating. But once the story started moving, I finished the book quickly. The writing itself was good but I thought Claire was too naive for a woman of her age and experience and the plot developments predictable, however I still would recommend the book.
Sentinel: A Spycatcher Novel
by Matthew Dunn
A Big Disappointment (5/30/2012)
The author may have the skills needed to write a report for one of his 70 successful missions (per the back cover) but he does not have the ones needed to write a novel. I found myself wincing at his phrasing and sentence construction on nearly every page and thus found it very hard to get into the story.
Luckily the plot was the same stone cold killer, super strategist and sexual dynamo with a (sadly alienated) heart of gold that I've read many times before - see Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher, etc. - so I didn't have to expend much brain power in following along.
The Age of Miracles: A Novel
by Karen Thompson Walker
Special (5/19/2012)
This wonderful novel is a great addition to similarly themed books ("Children of Men"), movies ("Last Night" of 1998), and TV (Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "The Inner Light"). Told (freshly) from the perspective of a child, it tells of a difficult coming of age during a time when it isn't clear if there will be much of a tomorrow. But the story is touching not maudlin, aided in large part by excellent writing.
The best of my First Impression books so far!
The Land of Decoration: A Novel
by Grace McCleen
Beautiful and Strange (4/11/2012)
The book is well paced and well-written, full of lovely imagery and clever wording without being pretentious. But the subject matter is hard - poverty, bullying, mental illness. Still I would recommend it.
A Partial History of Lost Causes: A Novel
by Jennifer duBois
Slow Going (1/20/2012)
Perhaps it was the short days and ensuing light deprivation (like Russia!), but I had a very hard time finishing this book. The main problem is that the two major characters do not meet until 200 pages in and even then they exist in parallel more than together. And they are both are very depressed. But I would say that - apart for some editing mistakes that will hopefully be corrected - the writing itself is very good.
The Dressmaker: A Novel
by Kate Alcott
Disaster of a Book (11/1/2011)
This book was disappointing. First and foremost, the writing itself was poor. Secondly, the characters acted oddly and while their motivations were eventually explained (clumsily), it was definitely too little, too late. And sadly the plot relied on instant relationships of the main character - a maid - with the rich and famous (like Molly Brown) rather than developing a rich below deck story.
The Borgia Betrayal: A Poisoner Mystery Novel
by Sara Poole
Enjoyable WIth Vivid Characters (6/17/2011)
This is the second in a series, and while I read the first book, Poison, in anticipation of this one, it was not necessary to do so. In fact, this book was blessedly free of the clunky exposition so common in sequels!
Minor quibbles with the book are: on more than one occasion, the same idea was repeated in nearly the same language (e.g. Francesca doesn't like to ride) and the sex was a tad more explicit than I expected for historical fiction (although it has nothing on bodice rippers).
The Tudor Secret: The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles
by C. W. Gortner
Not His Best (3/21/2011)
The premise of the book - behind the scenes Tudor England between Henry VIII and Elizabeth I - is very promising and the book is well written. However I found it off putting that the main character - a squire - would be introduced to so many luminaries and become part of their plots in just a few hours (literally). Perhaps this will be less jarring as the series continues.
I do recommend Gortner's other books, particularly The Last Queen.
