Susan Vreeland Books

What a delight to step back into the art and politics of the Impressionists via Susan Vreeland's compelling, colourful, and creative book. The models of the famous picture come to life along with the whispers of the everyday life and loves of the times immediately following the Prussian War.

The book is what I ordered. There really isn't anything else to say.
Jill

I loved this book. I recommend having a copy of the picture to study as you read. I was constantly turning back to view the picture in the book. I created a guide to identify the people in the picture. I have a new appreciation for art and the brave artists who were committed to their work. I wondered if I would have recognized their greatness and supported their efforts at the time.

Let me get the negatives out of the way. This is a book that really needed to be edited since it is bogged down with so much description that it is a slow-starter of a book. It took me awhile to get into it. It is definitely not my favorite book of the year as it is bogged down with details and it was confusing with the characters who share similar names and some of their stories are interwoven with Renoir's. I still don't know much about Renoir at the end of the book, as he is a character that is never warmed up to the reader, well, this reader in any case.

Now for the positives. It is an enlightening book and a beautiful one where Renoir gathers fourteen of his dearest friends and models to pose around a luncheon near the river. Much has been made of his love of light and his talents. This is a look into the private scenes behind a famous painting (which I've never heard of till now), how it came about, how he dreamed of it, how frustrating it was to keep the same cast of people throughout a month of Sundays. It is an intimate look of Parisians who retreat to the countryside after a hard week's work to relax and enjoy their friendships.

And the descriptions of the food ... don't go on a diet while reading this book. You'll fall off the wagon because the descriptions of the meals in here will just lure you right back to the fridge in hopes that there is something delicious for you to eat there.

This is a great book for a book club to discuss. It is full of historical moments and inspirations. If you like historical fiction and art, this book is for you.

5/13/08

Luncheon of the Boating Party is a truly excellent book. Set in the Summer of 1880 in Paris and Chatou, the novel follows the story of the famous painting by Auguste Renoir, now in the Phillips Collection in DC. Egged on by an article written by Emile Zola, Renoir begins painting an idyllic scene on the balcony of the Maison Fournaise, of thirteen friends.

The story is intriguing because it's told from the point of view not just of Renoir, but the models in the painting. We're introduced, for example, to Augustine Fournaise, daughter of the owner of the restaurant, and Gustave Caillebotte the artist. We also meet Aline Charigot, the seamstress who later married Renoir. The iconic painting represents a mingling of classes as they devote a Sunday to the pursuit of leisure.

In all of this, Vreeland creates a beautiful novel that combines the realistic with the idealistic. We're also introduced to the fascinating artistic process Renoir's mind went through. It's a well-written and researched novel. Vreeland is in her element when she writes about art, and Luncheon of the Boating Party is no exception. What helps is that the painting appears right on the cover--I guarantee you'll turn back to the painting many times as you read. There are also illustrations inside, including a map of Paris and Chatou.

If you are looking for a true love story and true dedication in a marriage, this book is for you. My grandparents overcame their blindness had four children, and conqured everything themselves. My grandparents have given my such motivation, that I can do anything I set my mind to, they are the most wonderful people alive, besides my parents. This book is truly a wonderful book about love, hard times and good times, how they beat all of the odds.

It takes a very special kind of people to life a normal kind of life with these kind of obsticales. I give them all the credit that they deserve

Sight is one of those gifts a person takes for granted. I know I do, but after reading this book I don't think I ever will again. Jean loses her sight at the age of 12 and has so many things to overcome. Luckily for her, her parents didn't coddle her and made Jean do everything for herself that was possible. As the years go by she feels something is missing and after meeting Forest Holly, a man who also lost his sight, she knows that she needs to be married to him. This story takes in all the years from 1930 on through Jean and Forest's married life and all the challenges they face through lean years and the hardships of raising four children with little help. There were some hilarious parts, and some sad too.... This is truly a book that will make a person thankful for their sight and let you know that whatever adversities you may have to face, they can be overcome. A book I will recommend to everyone.

I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS GREAT AND VERY HEARTFELT IT SHOWS THAT EVEN IF TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED THEY CAN STAND ON THEIR OWN.I WAS AMAZED HOW THEY RAISED FIVE CHILDREN .I HAVE A SEIZURE CONDITION SO I KNOW HOW IT IS TO BE LIMITED AND I STILL LIVE WITH MY MOTHER SO I CAN RELATE WITH HOW JEAN FELT WHEN HER FATHER KEPT TREATING HER LIKE A CHILD AND NOT LETTING HER TAKE A WALK INTO TOWN WITH HER SEEING EYE DOG OR WHEN SHE AND GORDON WANTED TO GET MARRIED.

This book is a great portriat of my family. They made this book into a movie on CBS, and if anyone has seen it, it really is thier life. My grandmother is doing great, my POP died awhile ago, but we still have this living memory of him. If you are looking for a true love story and a moral story this book is for you to read. If you need motivation this book is for you to read. Never think you can't do anything, because my grandparents did everything, their blindness did not stop them at all. They are actually going to be making sequal to the movie, which will involve more of my dad which I can't wait to see. This is a must buy book!!!!

This was the latest selection of the book club I belong to. I have to say it's my favorite book so far (we've been together for 4 years). It has depth, sincerity and is beautifully written.

Is it a Vermeer or isn't it?

That is the thread that holds these eight short stories together.

Susan Vreeland takes us on a journey back in time that starts with the current owner of a beautiful painting thought to be one of the lost paintings of the Dutch artist Vermeer.

As we approach each sub-story we travel back a little further in time to each previous owner of the painting and how owning it has affected their lives. Set mostly in Holland and The Netherlands the Dutch names for places can be a bit difficult to pronounce but do not detract from the overall power of this small book.

Each individual story line is easy to follow. My only question would be what ultimately happens to the current owner of the painting (who is afraid to show it to the world since his father obtained it through his position with the German police during WW II).

I highly recommend this book.


Marion Marchetto

Girl in Hyacinth Blue is a series of vignettes chronicling the reverse history of a fictional Vermeer painting of the same name. Vreeland's colorful portraits of Dutch life, from the wealthy to the poorest peasants, spanning several hundred years, are fascinating. I wouldn't have minded delving further into each of the tales, and the only other thing that could have improved the book was if the painting, which plays a silent, starring role in each of the stories, really existed.

GiHB was enjoyable, but was a small disappointment after Vreeland's breathtaking Luncheon of the Boating Party.

While this book was written beautifully; her research evident in all the stories, I didn't care for it. I was expecting another "Girl With A Pearl Earring." Even though it was brilliant the way all the stories led from one to the next, I would have preferred one long story. Vreeland is an excellent writer, I don't have complaints in that department, nor in any departmnt; it just wasn't my cup of tea. What it did do, however, is make me more curious about Vermeer's work. I plan to look up his paintings and enjoy his beautiful talent.

Have you ever picked up an old, old article and wondered about the story behind it? Have you looked at beautiful art and wondered about that? Girl in Hyacinth Blue is a novel which traces the fictional provenance of a painting by Vermeer backwards from it's current owner to the time the artist was inspired to paint it.

The style reminds me of a group of storytellers sitting around a table, each picking up where the other leaves off, and each telling a very different, sometimes very dramatic rendering of an object's journey through time. Yet all are tied together by a fascination and a reverance for the skill of the artist and the subject of his work.

A young girl sees,"The face of the girl in the painting almost glowed, her blue eyes, cheeks, the corners of her mouth all bright and glossy, the light coming right at her across the space between them. She seemed more real than the people in the room."

And so this precious painting comes into their home for a short intelude before their lives are ended and the spoils go to the victor. Much, much earlier, the carefully wrapped painting is discovered in a boat along with a newborn child during a flood. "Sell the painting. Feed the child," are the words written on the back of an art document.

And so we are drawn back to the very moment of inspiration. This is a gentle, lovely tale of how a thing of beauty can affect the lives of many.

by Judith Helburn
for StorycircleBookReviews
www.storycirclebookreviews.org
reviewing books by, for, and about women

This is another one of those books I'd never have read had it not been assigned in my book club. Fortunately, it was better than I thought it would be. Although the story wasn't my cup of tea, the book definitely has its merits.

Surprisingly, many people have never heard of Carr--the subject of this story--critics place her work on par with household names like Georgia O'Keefe and Frida Kahlo. Vreeland successfully paints her own portrait of this artist using words to bring to life the fast disappearing lush forests and colorful indigenous people who inhabit the world that Carr sought to preserve through her art. Carr found British Columbia's native culture fascinating and was sympathetic to the challenges the indigenous people faced as the white man gained increasing control over their territory and way of life. As a result, she felt compelled to paint the Indians and her beloved woodland as often as she could.

Carr's choice of career and subject matter were controversial in her time--the late 1800s. Vreeland makes clear that being a woman artist assured a lonely life and represents a decision that was not popular with Carr's family or society in general. Spending time with Indians was also behavior that rendered Carr the topic of unfavorable local gossip. Many times Carr was misunderstood, doubted herself, and faced conflicts because of her devotion to her purpose. Yet she refused to give up or give in, and eventually she earned a respectable place for herself among the professional ranks.

In exploring Carr's life and career, Vreeland asks the reader to consider some crucial questions. What does it mean to be an "artist," for example? Carr watched other artists change their paintings to conform to popular tastes to make them easier to sell. She disdained to follow suit, however. She refused to paint anything other than the "truth" as she saw it. Carr was at times frustrated because she sold so little work, and it caused her to question whether her painting "mattered." Was it meaningful or valuable to anyone? What does that mean about "truth"? Art for its own sake versus art created for a market is of course a concept that is still debated.

The other key philosophical concept in this novel involves determining where artists find inspiration. For Carr, inspiration came from nature and the way the Indians kept a close relationship with the environment. Vreeland explores Carr's pantheism and compares it with the Indians' indigenous religion and Catholicism. The author also examines religious philosophy as an artistic motivator. She suggests that Carr eventually determined that there is a "spirit" within the self, which isn't defined by any one religion, but which plays a critical role in serious art. Carr believed that someone can become a competent artist, but without that underlying "spark," his/her work will lack that special something that makes all the difference and makes a work successful.

Although several book club members said this was not a book they would have picked up and read of their own choosing, they were pleasantly surprised. The rest of the group flat out loved this book. Indeed, Carr's story receives skillful handling with Vreeland's careful molding. We were even able to draw some parallels between the story and modern Shanghai. Though Carr fans should not expect complete biographical accuracy (slight suspensions of biographical and historical faithfulness is tolerated in favor of spinning a good story within this genre) the tale is well told and will be especially enjoyed by art lovers, those interested in British Columbia, native American culture, women's history, and historical fiction.

This was a very beautifully written book that every American and Canadian ought to read. Based on historical records, Susan Vreeland paints a troubling account of how Christian missionaries encouraged and practiced genocide and a small scale holocaust against the natives of this continent. It's not always comforting, but good for one seeking truth. It left me in a state of repentance and confession, ever renewed in my vow to honor and respect the traditions of the natives around me.

Beautifully written book about a fascinating person. I had never heard of Emilie Carr until I read this book and was totally captivated by the story. My husband is currently reading it and can't seem to put it down.
Ms. Vreeland is definitely on my "recommended authors" list.

This latest art inspired novel is made up of little episodes in the life of Emily Carr as she travels from her home in British Columbia, to San Francisco, England and Paris and finally back to the forests of her homeland.

The story is set in an era when British Columbia was being industrialized and the Canadian Government was actively attempting to excise Indian cultures by evicting tribes from their cultural lands and outlawing native ceremonies. Carr spent much of her life attempting to capture on canvas and preserve for all time the beauty and uniqueness of the native people and their dying culture as well as the magnificent forests in which they dwelled.

Of course, as with all great artists, Carr is misunderstood by her family and most of her peers. She finds a mother of sorts in Sophie Frank, a Squamish woman considered by "civilized society" to possess attitudes and beliefs considered primitive, but whose ideas and ideals are more in tune with Carr's own value system and vague spirituality.

Although Vreeland relies on some strongly fictional elements in this story, we are able to discern the truth of Carr's struggles against the surreptitious crimes of sexism and racial prejudice prevalent in the day.

Just as Carr transferred her innermost feelings to canvas, Vreeland has painted a sensitive portrait of the woman who blazed the trail for the likes of Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo.

Vreeland's account of Emily Carr's life paints a visual conception of her life that feels like a personal experience. Her writing reminds me of Barbara Kingsolver, another favorite of mine. She is very descriptive in both scenery and characters. There are times when I wonder if I read the experience of Carr's life or if I dreamt it. This is a wonderful read when you are hungry for good literature.

With "Girl Hyacinth Blue" and "The Passion of Artemisia" author Susan Vreeland has done much to resurrect the reading public's interest in the lives of great artists. In this intriguing collection of stories her focus is again on art, but rather than relating an artist's life she comes to her subject from a different angle - the secondary characters who were part of the artist's lives and how art can affect ordinary people, both positively and negatively.

Fans of van Gogh well know that one of his favorite models was the son of the postman in Arles. This relationship offers Vreeland the opportunity to give readers a view of the young lad's personal life and how he is reacting to the world around him at this stage in his life. We find a gardener employed by Monet emotionally shattered when the artist destroys his Water Lily paintings.

The use of the physical and emotional investment of ordinary people in the lives of the great Impressionists and Postimpressionists adds a rich texture to the idea of what art can mean.

Film, stage and television actress Karen White reads these stories with lyricism and depth of understanding. Those who heard her on the audio version of Vreeland's "The Forest Lover" know they're in for another treat.

- Gail Cooke

This was my first book by this author. I listened to the audio version which is nicely perfomed by a voice actor that is adept in pronouncing the Italian names. I enjoyed learning about the struggles of a talented female artist in the post - Renaissance period. The story moves along with great detail of the art and architecture of the time, as well as the food and clothing. I love all things Italian and parts of the book are almost like a travelogue. The author provides us with a lot of emotional investment in Artemisia, but the other people have much less character development.

"The Passion of Artemisia" is the fictional account of the life of the real-life post-Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi. The story begins at the time of the well-publicized trial in which Artemisia accuses her Father's painting partner of raping her. This event is a pivotal moment in Artemisia's life, because as a result of this trial, she must flee Rome due to the disgrace that the trial brings. Her Father arranges a marriage for her with a mediocre painter named Pietro Stiattesi of Florence. Things go well at first for the marriage, and the pair have a daughter together. Eventually, though, Artemisia's talent overshadows that of her husband, and puts a strain on the relationship. Her painting skill and her adaptability as an artist lead her to work for many patrons in many cities all over Italy, and the novel follows her journey to these many destinations, and describes the way in which she came to create many of her paintings.

I found this story very inspiring, as Artemisia had to overcome so many difficulties in her life. She was really quite ahead of her time, as she had to deal with the issue of juggling marriage, motherhood and career. She also had a very complex relationship with her Father, whom she loved very much, but also harbored a lifelong disappointment with due to the fact that he never really stood up for her during the rape trial. She was the first woman to be accepted in to the presitigous Accedemia dell'Arte, which was quite an achievement in her time. She had to make some difficult choices in her life, and eventually came to a level of acceptance that she could not have it all. Certain things had to be sacrificed because her art always came first.

Susan Vreeland has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary authors. She is really able to put herself in the place of the artist she is writing about, and really brings her/him to life. I found it helpful to reference the author's website while reading this novel, as she has an image gallery of the paintings that are written about.

This book was absolutely beautiful, and I found myself reading it very slowly at the end, as I did not want to leave the world of Artemisia. Very enjoyable and highly recommended!!

This book is very interesting. I am disappointed that it can't be more non-fictional because Artemisia was an amazing painter for her time. Books that have half truth and half fiction are hard to deal with because one has to wonder wether it is real or not.

"This book traces a particular painting through time: in this case, the post-Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi's violent masterpiece, "Judith." It takes you on a wonderful artistic journey,I enjoyed it thoroughly...and learned about how different life was for women at that time. It is based on her true life story and she was the only woman at that time who became accepted as an artist!"

The book is a good portrait of an era from a woman's point of view, and we don't have too many feminine views from the Baroque era. Since the author strives for historiacal accuracy, I wouls have appreciated the added eimension of more scholarly, historical background. The Plague is brely mentioned. Ditto the Inquisition -- while she does included Galileo, who was a victim of it. More facts about the era would have made this a better book.

In terms of reading about the era, I would recommend reading "Galileo's Daughter."

Finally, like many preople, I am not famiiar with this painter, and I believe it would have added A lot to have reproductions of her paintings included in the book.

Life Studies is a collection of short stories about art and artists by Susan Vreeland. I've read two of the stories so far and am in the middle of the third one.

All three stories show Vreeland to be a master at work as she deftly weaves together art history, human psychology, poignant metaphors and recurring motifs together with vivid descriptions of the French landscape and people. I was delighted at the "aha!" moment in each story has where it becomes clear which beloved artwork has been, is being or will be created.

I look forward to finishing the book, but highly recommend it based on what I have read so far.

Susan Vreeland is fast becoming one of my favorite living authors. Her ability to draw you quickly and seamlessly into a living moment is one of the best I have come across, and I was impressed and relieved to find that the details I found the most poignant in her historical fiction sketches were the ones she gave bibliographic references for at the end of the book. In addition, I found her web sight containing the art pieces referenced in her stories at the beginning of my reading, and it greatly enhanced my overall experience:

http://www.svreeland.com/ls-paintings.html

In general, I found this book absorbing and vivid, but educated and relatively free from sentimentality. She is able to change voices well from character to character, but not so abruptly and obviously that the book loses fluidity. These chapters, each dedicated to a human life affected by a particular work of art, were saturated with reality and living detail. Really beautifully done; I was sorry to see it end.

Susan Vreeland's first book, the exquisite "Girl in Hyacinth Blue," was told in a series of stories centering around one Vermeer painting. In this book she returns to the story form, this time concerning many artists instead of just one. It contains moments of real beauty and for those who love art, or grew up with artists as I did, quite real and memorable.

These are unusual stories in form and perception. Art and the artist are seen from an angle, often told from the perspective of a model or a child or a lover. It is as if you rounded a corner and bumped into Renoir's easel or noticed Cézanne across a country road talking to a friend. These artists touch you as they really lived, as rather ordinary people. The stories are sometimes as quiet as walk in the woods. But in the end you feel you have known the little boy who threw stones at Cézanne, or the tired banker who goes to a weekend gathering in Montmartre and finds, in a short conversation with the artist Renoir who lives upstairs, a new joy in his life.

Of the contemporary stories in the second half of the book, "Crayon," about a little girl and her dying artist grandfather is such a beautiful piece of writing.

This book is for any reader who would like to know what it was like to see one of these artists not as some sort of sexual athlete or superman but walking across the street quietly with his paint box in his hand.

The state of literature currently: garbage. Put an emotional shell on a conclusion to have no conclusion, and you're a "genius" according to our esteemed literary rags and reviewers. This book has two high-quality stories, "Of These Stones" and "The Yellow Jacket," but they are more like children's stories than the great short stories of a F. Scott Fitzgerald or Flannery O'Connor. After you read those two, you may find yourself getting sleepy... the pattern repeats. The state of literature currently: garbage. This is garbage that has a few gilded peaks before lulling you into emotive but meaningless stupor.

The writing is sentimental. It is often amateurish or stilted. Still, occasional flashes of brilliance.