Gibbon, Maureen

Reminiscent of Victorian fiction, this epistolary novel reads as intimately as a found artifact from Manet himself. Readers may find it difficult to extract themselves from the story to recall that this is not in fact a primary source but rather a constructed narrative. This compelling and revealing book furthers a cultural understanding of Manet’s place in time and art, a difficult task for a difficult character. Very well done.

The strength of Gibbon's third novel (after Thief and Swimming Sweet Arrow) lies in Victorine's vivid sensual descriptions of the world around her and in the believable portrayal of the psychology of a gifted but immature young woman changed by her relationship with a famous man. By focusing so closely on the self-absorbed Victorine's inner life and on candid physical descriptions of her sexual encounters with the artist, however, Gibbon gives comparatively short shrift to developing Manet as a character or to exploring the historical context of his work, something that may disappoint readers looking for a Tracy Chevalier or Susan Vreeland read-alike.