Title: Luncheon of the Boating Party
Author: Susan Vreeland
Genre:
Historical Fiction
About the book…
It’s the early 1880’s in France, the time
of Impressionism, and the time when Auguste Renoir will paint his famous Luncheon of the Boating Party. Renoir
only has a short time to complete this envisioned masterpiece to prove a critic
wrong and he’ll need the help of his friends both financially and as models to
pull it off. Vreeland creates a fictional account of Renoir’s struggle to get
done what is now a beloved masterpiece.
What I think…
This is the
fourth book by Vreeland I’ve read and this is my least favorite. Instead of
being mostly focused on the artist, in this case, Renoir, she weaves in large
portions about the models in the painting. Due to this and the number of characters,
the book does drag at parts as you get closer to the middle and becomes
tedious. It was, however, interesting to see how Vreeland wove the multiple
experiences together, especially in keeping with a theme of a greater whole
that runs throughout the novel.
Despite that, this isn’t to say I disliked
the book entirely. Vreeland is very descriptive in a non-imposing way, so that
you don’t feel like you’re being overwhelmed with a list of adjectives. She
also draws attention to some of the other Impressionists, which helps the
reader understand what the Impressionists were up against in regards to this
movement. She also presents an interesting view of France following the war
with Germany.
To sum it all up…
Good, but a little slow for my
liking in comparison with her other books. ♥
