FICTION

I Always Loved You

by Robin Oliveira
Viking. Feb. 2014. 352p. ISBN 9780670785797. $27.95. F
COPY ISBN
Paris in the mid-to-late 19th century was the place to be if you were an artist, especially an artist trying to shake up the stodgy traditional art institutions. It was the beginning of impressionism, a movement whose birth was quite painful for all involved. Oliveira's (My Name Is Mary Sutter) new novel purports to be about the decade-long, convoluted, and complicated relationship between Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas, yet it encompasses so much more—the relationships among other luminaries of the period, the difficulty of being a single woman and an artist in a harsh and often unforgiving male-dominated world, and the complexities of dealing with family.
VERDICT Oliveira has woven a rich tapestry of the artist's life in Belle Époque Paris, in a close, intimate rendering rather than a grand, sweeping landscape. Readers who enjoy historical fiction set in this time period will enjoy the novel, as will those who like fictionalized accounts of historical figures.
Reviewed by Pam O'Sullivan, Coll. at Brockport Lib., SUNY , Dec 01, 2013
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Spiral and Other Stories
by Koch, Aidan
FICTION

Not in Love
by Hazelwood, Ali
FICTION

Heads Will Roll
by Winning, Josh
FICTION

The Year of What If
by Patrick, Phaedra
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Anna
by Oberländer, Mia
MEDIA

Finding Sophie
by Mahmood, Imran
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?