Claude & Camille

Sep 27, 2010 Chrissie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: art, france, hf, bio, text-checked

NO SPOILERS

Finished: This book has the momentum of a huge wave. It builds slowly but by the end it crashes down on the shore with a tremendous thunder that shakes you. I did not think the beginning very well prtrayed the relationship between Claude and Camille, but as you follow the story an understnading of their life, their troubles, their sorrows and their advances become real. At the end the tragedy of their life comes crashing down on you. At the beginning I was not entralled by the author'...more NO SPOILERS

Finished: This book has the momentum of a huge wave. It builds slowly but by the end it crashes down on the shore with a tremendous thunder that shakes you. I did not think the beginning very well prtrayed the relationship between Claude and Camille, but as you follow the story an understnading of their life, their troubles, their sorrows and their advances become real. At the end the tragedy of their life comes crashing down on you. At the beginning I was not entralled by the author's prose, but by the end I felt I had learned so very much about Claude and Camille, about their life and about who they were inside the skin and bones. I had no idea this this was the story of the person who had created the water lilies that I love so much. Anybody who is curious to know why Monet was almost obsessed with painting water lilies should read this book. The book offers a possible answer. The historical events of the times are also woven into the story. You get history - the Prussian French War of 1870, the growth of the Impressionist movement - an intimate knowledge of the lives and struggles of these artists and an understanding of Claude and Camille's love and life. If you are crazy about Monet's water lilies then you must read this book. I am prettyy darned sure you will be surprised at what you find out. There is an author's note at the end, but nevertheless I do end up with some unanswered questions.... of which one is REALLY bothering me! Due to that question not being answered I am giving this book three rather than four stars. There should have been pictures in the book! Although I loved the artists' quotes beginning each chapter, they should have been intertwined into the story. Thank you Laura for sending the book to me. I am very glad I read it!!! Every time I look at one of Monet's paintings I wil appreciate it even more than I had before.

OK, I have only just begun: I have only read 25 pages. It is easy reading. Each chapter is dated. You SEE what Monet sees as he looks out at the Normandy landscapes after quickly discarding caricatures, the art form so popular in Paris of the 1860s. There are family disputes, and maybe he will be inducted into the French army stationed in Algiers. Wow, what timing for me! I just finished The Lovers of Algeria: A Novel. I don't know, maybe he will not go there, but his father and aunt have no intention of paying to avoid this. And Monet has no intention of working in his fathers nautical shop. Ha, as usual, a little blackmail is often common in such happy families. Or shall we politely call it "methods of persuasion"?! Studying in Paris, he has already met the other young painters of the day - Renoir, Cezanne, Manet and Pissaro too. Chapters begin with delightful quotes of these artists. Renoir has said: "When I've painted a woman's bottom so that I want to touch it, then the painting is finished." (page 19)

I really do want to read this book! I have received it as a passport book from Laura. After reading it , I will send it to Virginie. Thank you Laura!!! (less)

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Apr 07, 2010 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, historical-fiction, hfbrt, france, art, 19th-c

Claude Monet was a struggling young artist who was part of a burgeoning movement – living from sale to sale of his artwork, collaborating with his fellow painters: Frederic Bazille, Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley. Camille Doncieux was a flowering young woman from the upper crust of society who was set to follow the path laid out for her by her parents – the way all respectable young women should. When these two accidentally cross paths, both of their lives change in ways that they could never...more Claude Monet was a struggling young artist who was part of a burgeoning movement – living from sale to sale of his artwork, collaborating with his fellow painters: Frederic Bazille, Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley. Camille Doncieux was a flowering young woman from the upper crust of society who was set to follow the path laid out for her by her parents – the way all respectable young women should. When these two accidentally cross paths, both of their lives change in ways that they could never imagine.

I loved the way that this story was framed – there are sections from the past lives of Claude and Camille, each laid out with dates, and interludes of Claude’s later life in his beautiful home/garden in Giverny. There are intimate details revealed in the interludes that explain parts of the back story. From the very beginning, which is set in one of the interludes, you get the feeling that there is a great sadness in Claude’s life – something which happened that he is held responsible for. You can feel his pain and sadness, and even though you know that something terrible is going to happen and you think you are prepared for it, I would be very surprised if you don’t shed a few tears upon the reveal.

I was never a huge fan of Monet’s artwork – I can appreciate it, but I’m not a fan of the Impressionist movement as a whole. Not being a fan, I had never thought to consider looking up anything about his life, but after reading this novel, I was very interested in the life of Claude and Camille. While parts of the novel are fictionalized for the sake of the story, I thought that it only added to the allure of Monet. I know that the beautiful cover was initially what drew me to this book (this is not the current cover, but I am so thankful to have received the ARC copy with my favorite cover) and I am so glad that I picked it up – one of my top reads so far this year.

This was a beautifully written story and this would be one of those books that I would read again. I am going to move Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell up my TBR list because of how much I enjoyed this book.

This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.(less)

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Apr 22, 2011 Christy English rated it 5 of 5 stars

A beautiful novel of love and loss, and of love that can never be lost. I recommend this highly. A beautiful portrait of Claude Monet and the love of his life.

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Dec 07, 2012 Joanna Mieso rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an intriguing and interesting historical fiction of the life of Claude Monet, and his wife Camille Doncieux.

What enthralled me, though, was the relationships between Monet and other impressionists, among them, Renoir and Pisarro. This really was La Boheme as we've come to understand it - penniless and starving artists sharing a studio, helping one another, etc. Monet stubbornly refused to earn wages unless it was through his painting, and he was enabled by the other artists, in particula...more This is an intriguing and interesting historical fiction of the life of Claude Monet, and his wife Camille Doncieux.

What enthralled me, though, was the relationships between Monet and other impressionists, among them, Renoir and Pisarro. This really was La Boheme as we've come to understand it - penniless and starving artists sharing a studio, helping one another, etc. Monet stubbornly refused to earn wages unless it was through his painting, and he was enabled by the other artists, in particular Frederic Bazille(a wealthy student who came to be his best friend), so that he could support himself, and ultimately, Camille.

Both Claude and Camille impressed me as being immature and selfish and the constant worry about money, and having food and a roof over one's head became wearisome after awhile and it was then that I realized that the author had engaged me in feeling the same way these two characters did.

My book club was lucky enough to meet and speak with Stephanie Cowell during one of our meetings - Stephanie graciously answered all our questions and elaborated on other aspects of this couple's relationship that were not included in the book.

While Monet is famous especially for his "Water Lilies" series, references to his portraits and other landscapes are sprinkled throughout the book and when I googled them on the internet, I was sometimes pleasantly surprised to see the visual, and at others, rather dismayed.

"The Girl in the Green Dress" is Monet's first portrait of Camille, and at first glance, I was disappointed (and actually kind of shocked) to see what appeared to be an unattractive middle-aged woman (Camille was 18 at the time!)

Camille's green dress is covered by a black coat so that only the lower half is visible. The coat, along with a black hat, and Camille's black hair, blend together and in fact, all blend in the dark background, so it's difficult to distinguish the female silhouette at all. The green dress, in fact, is striped and a muted tone, and I had been expecting a vibrant and robust color to match Camille's bubbling personality as depicted in "Claude and Camille".

After examining this for a few minutes, I could make out an outline of Camille's shape, and appreciate her facial features. I really had to look HARD to see that this was a young woman.

Later paintings featuring Camille show her looking sad, wistful or sometimes her face is shadowed and features are undistinguishable.

Renoir had also painted Camille, and what a difference! She is presented as a lovely beauty with porcelain skin and raven hair, and always with a smile on her face.

This was an enjoyable read but I found it difficult to have any sympathy for the two characters at times.

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Sep 26, 2012 Regina Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In this highly fictionlaized, and sympathetic, account of Monet's life and the muse that inspired his greatest work, Cowell imagines the life and circumstances surrounding Monet and his contemporaries known as the Society of Anonymous Artists that brought life to a new movement, Impressionism. Cowell traces the cycles of the artists' lives from the stereotypical "starving artist" to a time when a request to stop the trains in order to paint them would be granted, giving the reader a glimpse into...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stephanie Cowell's lovely and compelling historical novel about Claude Monet and the love of his life, Camille Doncieux, springs from the page in words as colorful and visionary as one of Monet's water lily canvases. The author really brings his character into amazing reality, and doesn't polish up the rough spots either. He was a fascinating albeit selfishly dedicated artist, and poor conflicted Camille -- she too was so realistically drawn, I felt as if she were someone I knew from my college...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Kaye rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

I love Claude Monet's paintings and wanted to really know more about his life. The book is fiction but because I saw it for sale at the artists home and museum in Giverny, I have hopes that it is fairly accurate. Claude doesn't want to be a merchant like his father but instead wants to paint. With his paintings now selling for millions you forget that for his first 20 years of painting he was unsuccessful. Claude meets Camille who agrees to sit for him in a picnic scene and later in "the green d...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Claude Monet knew he didn’t want to walk in his father’s footsteps, he knew there was more to life than being a merchant, he knew in his heart that he wanted to paint. He didn’t know that he would become one of the founding fathers in a school of painting known as Impressionism, didn’t know how steep a hill he would have to climb to reach the summit of his success, that he would be friends with other painters some that would go on to greatness and some that would be lost in obscurity, didn’t kno...more Claude Monet knew he didn’t want to walk in his father’s footsteps, he knew there was more to life than being a merchant, he knew in his heart that he wanted to paint. He didn’t know that he would become one of the founding fathers in a school of painting known as Impressionism, didn’t know how steep a hill he would have to climb to reach the summit of his success, that he would be friends with other painters some that would go on to greatness and some that would be lost in obscurity, didn’t know waiting in a train station on his way to the army in Algiers that he would sketch a young distressed girl and that girl would become the most important part of his life and his life’s work.
Camille Doncieux knew she didn’t fit into the compartmentalized life her parents wanted for her, she knew she wanted more, she knew she wanted passion. What she didn’t know was what that passion might cost her, she didn’t know how much true love could hurt you as well as heal you, she didn’t know that a chance meeting with a young painter would be a prelude to the love of a man who’s passion would not only equal hers but exceed it.
Stephanie Cowell brought to life for me the historically accurate fictionalized story of one of the greatest painters who ever lived and brought it to me with all the pain, the joy and the turbulence in not only his life but the lives of the people around him, the people who meant the most to him and the times in history they went through as well as the history they themselves created. She gave me the inside scoop on the muse behind the man his first wife Camille, what she meant to him, what their love endured and what heartache that love caused both of them. She brought it to me in a narrative that takes me back to the time she’s covering and while the words may never have come out of any of the great master’s mouths, they could have. She showed me a true bohemian lifestyle that these artists lived and breathed and how it cost more than some of them could afford to give. And last but never least she told me one of the greatest love stories of all time in vivid detail so in my mind’s eye I watched as Monet sat in front of his easel and painted Camille.
This novel would appeal to any lover of fictionalized history, fans of literary fiction, historical fiction and those of us who love not only a great story but a terrific love story as well.
We'll be discussing this novel all of April at the General Fiction forum at B&N.com join us-http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.co...
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Mar 19, 2012 Elaine rated it 2 of 5 stars

What a waste of a perfectly fantastic topic! It was too, too 21st. century with the detailed sexual events, overly angst-ridden uncertainties, and the name-dropping (sort of like "so Pissaro passed the wine to Renoir, while Manet sipped, and Cezanne asked for more," if you can get my drift). I mean, come on! Why bother! It is called a novel in the sub-title, so don't confuse it with fictional biography, a stupid term. The attempt at using the French phrases is the worst I have ever seen, with so...more

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Linda Wow Elaine, that is harsh. I am about halfway through and like it fine. As far as the term "Merde", it can be traced back at least as far as the times...more
Apr 04, 2012 05:03pm

Elaine Merde(in English, it is "s___") is the only term that the author uses without any excessive translation, but I have never read it in any of the French...more Merde(in English, it is "s___") is the only term that the author uses without any excessive translation, but I have never read it in any of the French classics with any frequency at all; it is too 21st. century to have it continually done that way. I would suggest that it probably was used long before Napoleon as were so many other terms. Usually, an author, writing in English and then slipping into a French expression or a brief sentence, will not do an immediate or frequent translation as she continually did. It is just a tradition in English letters, especially British literature, but if an author wants to do it, there is no law stopping him or her, it was just unusual to see it done so frequently when so much easy French was present. The French language is so wonderful and for centuries the British and the Russians, for example, slipped it into their narratives not only in recognition and admiration but to show how expressive it is, even without translation. I am a devout Francohile and a great fan of Monet, whose life I have studied a little.
I loved the beginning of the book, and then it grew tedious. Artists suffer for their art, and we certainly got that point. Also, there are so many things about the second wife where he loved her and her children devotedly, so I'm not sure the tale I read made that a possiblity, and that was too bad too, but it was not supposed to be fact, was it.
The artists did spend time together, and that was no problem at all, but it was a rather contrived technique to use the dialog or other references in juxtaposition which could have been done better. Of course, why did we have to have the sexual details? I know some like them in today's literature, but was that necessary? It was done for 21st. century sexuality and for no other reason.
I did read the Goodreads critques by others who had similar opinions to mine. I wanted to learn more, and not to read things I knew were not good art or true. It falls into the realm of "chick lit" for me. I read comments of those who loved it too, and they can feel that way also. I wanted more than I got, and it was a pretense to present something as if it were imagined as possible occasions or events. The author is a published writer, and that is very much to her credit, but from my background and knowledge, I needed something else. We all bring our personal baggage to every reading occasion, and I was carrying different "outfits" that her novel did not offer the occasion to put on.
OK, so please enjoy the rest of the novel. I think that opinions are always valid no matter how different or harsh. I am glad that others view things not only like I do but differently too.(less)
updated Apr 04, 2012 06:16pm

Sep 20, 2011 Gary Inbinder rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stephanie Cowell is a wonderfully imaginative and engaging novelist. In "Claude and Camille" she uses elegant prose and descriptive detail in a compelling narrative, telling the story of young Monet and his first wife and model, Camille Doncieux. While the story of a struggling young artist and the woman who sacrifices wealth and social position to share her lover's hard life is a familiar one, Ms. Cowell tells it with great skill and fresh psychological insight. What's more, she re-creates the...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Susan O'Bryant rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although this was a fictional account of his life, I seriously felt like this was truly how it all went down for Claude Monet, one of my favorite artists of all-time. As with Marrying Mozart, Cowell weaved the known facts of Monet into this novel and absolutely brought it to life.

Poor (literally) Claude Monet had a rough early life. Even though his parents were comfortable (if not wealthy), his passion for painting and his sensitivity led him away from the prosperous family business and into pov...more

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Sep 11, 2010 Ruth Hill rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance

When I began reading this book, I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it. I know someone recommended it--I can't even remember who--but I was expecting a mainly fictitious book.

I was so excited when I discovered that this historical novel was well-researched and almost completely true! Not only that, the characters in the book seemed to have personality and authenticity.

The author's writing style was superb in this book. She seemed to truly capture the characters of Claude and Camille. I actual...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Hattie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stephanie Cowell
"He stood on the bridge. I am not done painting my lilies, he thought. There is always, as there is with love, more to say, but now I am tired and pleased."

If I were asked to tell what words first comes to mind when thinking about Monet, I would have to say water lilies. When I began reading Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell, I realized Claude Monet's life involved more than the beautiful water lilies he painted in Giverny. For example, I had never heard of the painting na...more Stephanie Cowell
"He stood on the bridge. I am not done painting my lilies, he thought. There is always, as there is with love, more to say, but now I am tired and pleased."

If I were asked to tell what words first comes to mind when thinking about Monet, I would have to say water lilies. When I began reading Claude & Camille by Stephanie Cowell, I realized Claude Monet's life involved more than the beautiful water lilies he painted in Giverny. For example, I had never heard of the painting named Woman in The Green Dress. For this painting the model was Camille. Camille is the woman Monet loved with all of his heart. Their love was passionate and beautiful. At the same time, there were moments of turmoil. As with most artists Claude Monet lacked money. Camille came from a well off family. She was not use to cold rooms, debtors begging for money, lack of food, etc. Another problem they faced in their relationship was Camille's love for city life. She loved Paris and people while Claude Monet loved country life. In the cold and the rain he would stand trying to capture the right light.

Claude and Camille's love affair could have been the beginning, middle and end of the novel. However, along the way other people would interweave themselves in to their lives for better or for worse. There is Alice Hoschede. Also, there is Frederic Bazille. Both of these people become interlocked in the lives of Claude and Camille making their simple romantic love very perplexing, shocking, sad and confusing.

The novel is as beautiful as any of Claude Monet's masterpieces. It is book I will never forget. I am sure all the people I named will step through my memory on any morning, afternoon or evening whether I'm drinking a mug of cocoa in the winter, planting a geranium in the summer or crying and kissing a loved one goodbye for the very last time. I will always remember that love given and lost happens in so many different ways. Now I have ended the book. The last image in my mind are the beautiful water lilies painted by Claude Monet. Perhaps, if I look deep enough, there is a message for me inside those nightly blooms.

"Outside, twilight was falling on the gardens, and the water lilies would be closing for the night. He wiped his eyes and sat for a time to calm himself. Looking around once more, he left the studio and slowly descended the stairs." http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalin... (less)

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Jul 22, 2010 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hist-fic

Hard as it is to fathom today, Claude Monet spent the first twenty years of his career as the proverbial starving artist. (It's also hard to believe that his name was Oscar!) Stephanie Cowell tells the story of his relationship with the love of his life, Camille Doncieux, who gave up a life of privilege to be with her Claude. The novel is a series of interconnected vignettes depicting Monet as an elderly man recalling his life with Camille. His passion for painting in the new style called Impres...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Chocolate & Croissants rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cher ami, the more I live, the more I regret how little I know.
-Claude Monet, In a letter to Frederic Bazille

Even before I opened the cover of Claude & Camille I knew that I would fall in love with author Stephanie Cowell’s latest novel. Cowell has painted her own canvas giving readers an unique look into Monet’s life.

I first became familiar with Monet as a 20 year old backpacking through Europe. My girlfriend was much more culturally aware than I as she dragged my from museum to museum in P...more Cher ami, the more I live, the more I regret how little I know.
-Claude Monet, In a letter to Frederic Bazille

Even before I opened the cover of Claude & Camille I knew that I would fall in love with author Stephanie Cowell’s latest novel. Cowell has painted her own canvas giving readers an unique look into Monet’s life.

I first became familiar with Monet as a 20 year old backpacking through Europe. My girlfriend was much more culturally aware than I as she dragged my from museum to museum in Paris. The Musee D’Orsay is where I was treated to my first Monet and the term “impressionism”. While I did not immediately appreciate what I had been introduced to, my passion for Monet was born.

For myself, the name Monet, conjures up images of an older man with a white beard, standing before his famous waterlilies, Les Nympheas. Monet was much more than this collection.

In Claude and Camille, Cowell takes readers on an artistic tour as she paints a portrait of a young Monet struggling to establish himself as a painter in 19th century Paris. Readers are introduced to Monet’s bohemian lifestyle and his friendship with the masters of his time, Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, Manet and Bazille. This group of men, would share a studio and together create what became known as Impressionism.

Central to Monet’s story is his muse and future wife, Camille Doncieux. Having first caught a glimpse of her in a Paris train station, Monet introduces himself to her after stumbling upon her in a Parisian bookstore. Their story is one of love, selfishness and unfulfilled promises. After a failed attempt to be displayed at the State salon Palais de L’Industrie it is Monet’s painting of Camille in her lovely green promenade dress (The Women in the Green Dress)that is accepted.

Cowell’s true gift is her ability to bring to life Monet’s paintings. As I read the book, I saw Monet’s canvasses before my eyes. I could imagine the light flickering over the Thames through the London fog, Camille standing in the garden, the trains at Gare St. Lazare. For me, being able to envisioning the studios were Monet painted, walking the streets of Paris to the cafes were he spent time with his friends and being able to feel I was standing before his works is a sign of a wonderful book. It is an unique talent for an author to conjure up the imagination of a reader.

Claude and Camille left my heart fluttering as I turned the pages. As I read the last words of this magnificent story I was broken hearted it had come to an end. I was left with a longing to return to the great museums of Paris and soak in the beauty of Monet's canvasses. Cowell's story will forever be etched in my mind when I think of Monet.

To truly enjoy the book, pack a picnic with a fresh baguette, some strawberries, and cheese. Spread your blanket out under the twilight of summer and watch the colors change as the sun falls from the sky, illuminating it with the last rays of the day.(less)

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Jul 06, 2010 Maltaise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cher ami, the more I live, the more I regret how little I know.
-Claude Monet, In a letter to Frederic Bazille

Even before I opened the cover of Claude & Camille I knew that I would fall in love with author Stephanie Cowell’s latest novel. Cowell has painted her own canvas giving readers an unique look into Monet’s life.

I first became familiar with Monet as a 20 year old backpacking through Europe. My girlfriend was much more culturally aware than I as she dragged my from museum to museum in P...more Cher ami, the more I live, the more I regret how little I know.
-Claude Monet, In a letter to Frederic Bazille

Even before I opened the cover of Claude & Camille I knew that I would fall in love with author Stephanie Cowell’s latest novel. Cowell has painted her own canvas giving readers an unique look into Monet’s life.

I first became familiar with Monet as a 20 year old backpacking through Europe. My girlfriend was much more culturally aware than I as she dragged my from museum to museum in Paris. The Musee D’Orsay is where I was treated to my first Monet and the term “impressionism”. While I did not immediately appreciate what I had been introduced to, my passion for Monet was born.

For myself, the name Monet, conjures up images of an older man with a white beard, standing before his famous waterlilies, Les Nympheas. Monet was much more than this collection.

In Claude and Camille, Cowell takes readers on an artistic tour as she paints a portrait of a young Monet struggling to establish himself as a painter in 19th century Paris. Readers are introduced to Monet’s bohemian lifestyle and his friendship with the masters of his time, Renoir, Cezanne, Pissarro, Manet and Bazille. This group of men, would share a studio and together create what became known as Impressionism.

Central to Monet’s story is his muse and future wife, Camille Doncieux. Having first caught a glimpse of her in a Paris train station, Monet introduces himself to her after stumbling upon her in a Parisian bookstore. Their story is one of love, selfishness and unfulfilled promises. After a failed attempt to be displayed at the State salon Palais de L’Industrie it is Monet’s painting of Camille in her lovely green promenade dress (The Women in the Green Dress)that is accepted.

Cowell’s true gift is her ability to bring to life Monet’s paintings. As I read the book, I saw Monet’s canvasses before my eyes. I could imagine the light flickering over the Thames through the London fog, Camille standing in the garden, the trains at Gare St. Lazare. For me, being able to envisioning the studios were Monet painted, walking the streets of Paris to the cafes were he spent time with his friends and being able to feel I was standing before his works is a sign of a wonderful book. It is an unique talent for an author to conjure up the imagination of a reader.

Claude and Camille left my heart fluttering as I turned the pages. As I read the last words of this magnificent story I was broken hearted it had come to an end. I was left with a longing to return to the great museums of Paris and soak in the beauty of Monet's canvasses. Cowell's story will forever be etched in my mind when I think of Monet.

To truly enjoy the book, pack a picnic with a fresh baguette, some strawberries, and cheese. Spread your blanket out under the twilight of summer and watch the colors change as the sun falls from the sky, illuminating it with the last rays of the day.(less)

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Jul 02, 2010 Susan Eisenberg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Forget dry biographies of Claude Monet and his lover-muse, Camille Doncieux. If you want to climb inside Monet's mind and heart, look no further than Stephanie Cowell's luminous novel, CLAUDE & CAMILLE, a brilliant follow-up to her last lovely novel, MARRYING MOZART. If God is in the details, Ms. Cowell creates a divinely nuanced portrait of the great Monet, first introducing the artist as an old man, then flashing back to the signal events and people who nourished his greatness.

Monet's lov...more

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Jun 20, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

You've probably heard of Claude Monet, the painter, does lots of flowers and lily pads? Well this is the story of how he became the impressionist that is known and loved. He struggles with his art, with his friends and of course with his love life. He meets Camille, who turns out to be the love of his life, but does she have a secret? Though they come from different classes and have a difficult life today they are truly in love.

I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. I'm a huge fan of histor...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

Claude Monet glimpsed Camille Doncieux at a train station and was immediately inspired. Some time later he glimpsed her again behind the counter in a booksellers’s shop. So begins the most tempestuous relationship between the artist and his muse. They both swim against the tide of convention and live their lives according to their own whims and means. As the title suggests this is the story of the artist and his muse/lover. It is a good story, but what makes it even better is the back story. The...more

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May 23, 2010 Allie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Claude Monet, Frédéric Bazille, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, and Alfred Sisley were their names, and though they are instantly recognizable to us today, there was once a time when these great artists had to sell off their bed linens to purchase paint, removing the wooden stretchers from their canvases to use as fuel to keep their fires burning for just an hour longer in the dead of winter. It amazes me that they struggled together for so long, sharing a tattered...more Claude Monet, Frédéric Bazille, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, and Alfred Sisley were their names, and though they are instantly recognizable to us today, there was once a time when these great artists had to sell off their bed linens to purchase paint, removing the wooden stretchers from their canvases to use as fuel to keep their fires burning for just an hour longer in the dead of winter. It amazes me that they struggled together for so long, sharing a tattered studio space and attempting to get people to see past the old-fashioned classical styles of painting and learn to appreciate their unique, stylized methods, which people of the hoity-toity 19th century art world referred to as “unfinished.”

I love books that deal with artists and art history, but my reading in the past has focused more on Renaissance artists (and any regular readers of this blog will already know my great fascinating with all things Leonardo da Vinci). I knew a little bit of background on the Impressionists but this book brought all my imaginative assumptions to life with in-depth dialogue and characterization. I had no idea the extent of the camaraderie that existed between these artists; the enormous support they provided for each other artistically, emotionally and financially. As Camille states later on in the book, the way these men lived was “un pour tous, tous pour un,” —all for one and one for all.

I was fully and completely captivated by this book. It totally changed everything I thought I knew about Monet's work. An amateur artist myself, I can somewhat appreciate the mental tug-of-war that can go on inside an artist’s head when creating a composition. “Am I capturing the light just right? Is that tone correct for the mood I am attempting to portray?” – It can be frustrating, to say the least. Granted, I’ve never reached the point of frustration whereby nothing short of ripping my work down off its canvas will cleanse my lack of satisfaction (as Monet did). But it was fun for me to get inside Monet’s head a bit and rehash that feeling of never being quite pleased with one’s own work, despite what praise others may give it. Stephanie Cowell grew up among a family of artists, so I’m sure that it is no small coincidence that she really nailed the artist mentality in this book.

The way the characters’ personalities progressed throughout the novel was very endearing, and I especially liked the “Interludes” scattered throughout the book, which transitioned from Claude as a young starving artist to him at an old age looking back on his life. As I learned at a recent Stephanie Cowell book signing and talk the evening of publication day (more on that to follow!), very little—essentially nothing—is known about Camille. So the fact that Ms. Cowell was able to fill in those blanks so believably and with enough restraint that Camille, a rebellious upper class gentlewoman, could plausibly fit into her restrictive time period is very impressive to me. Camille’s character is complex, though. While at first it appears that she is simply adventurous, yearning to shun rigid society life and pursue a career as an actress (an absolute nightmare to her parents, who see acting as no more modest a profession than prostitution), we later find out that there is more to “The Parisian Queen” than just the charming young muse in the green opera dress.

I'll never look at a Monet painting the same way again!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher for review.(less)

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Apr 12, 2010 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Claude & Camille is a work of art in itself. Author Stephanie Cowell has reached into the very soul of the artist to bring us a reflective novel on Monet’s life. The artist’s most inner feelings are revealed, leaving the reader filled with the ups and downs of a mind and soul forever battling with its purpose.

This exquisite novel depicts this great impressionist, from his youth to his life with his grand amour, Camille. There were so many ups and downs in this relationship- probably as man...more Claude & Camille is a work of art in itself. Author Stephanie Cowell has reached into the very soul of the artist to bring us a reflective novel on Monet’s life. The artist’s most inner feelings are revealed, leaving the reader filled with the ups and downs of a mind and soul forever battling with its purpose.

This exquisite novel depicts this great impressionist, from his youth to his life with his grand amour, Camille. There were so many ups and downs in this relationship- probably as many as the very roller coaster ride of his own artistic career. Monet was constantly seeking to make ends meet, while trying to fulfill his quest to paint...

I had never really gone this deep into Monet’s life and was quite humbled by all of his tribulations. Although there were times when I could not understand his need to constantly flee- I completely understood him in others. This tug of war within himself,, his art, his life and his love all mattered so deeply that the drama was inevitable. Monet; the balance between genius and insanity.

And what about Camille? Ahh the lovely, fragile, loving- yet not always so stable herself...could I expect a love less intricate to capture the heart of this complicated artiste? The scenes were perfect; depictions themselves of a time and place- that I’m sure that this is how it actually all happened.

To delight even further, Cowell surrounds us with all the great artists of the time- leaving no one out. The novel includes actual scenes with the painters as crucial in the development of the story. Here we find Renoir, Pissaro, Manet, to name a few...Superb!

The artist in me was mesmerized from the very beginning. . I am completely in awe of this beautiful novel in all of its particularities and detailed history. I know so much more about Monet now!

Claude and Camille captures the history, the love and the art- a rainbow on canvas- a true work of art. I recommend this to anyone with a penchant for art. As for Art History lovers: an ABSOLUTE MUST!(less)

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Apr 07, 2010 Stephanie D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

"I have so much fire in me and so many plans. I always want the impossible. Take clear water with grass waving at the bottom. It's wonderful to look at, but to try to paint it is enough to make one insane."

Oh, to be young, poor, prodigiously gifted, yet unrecognized; this is the Claude Monet that Stephanie Cowell paints for us in Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet. I don't know about you, but my vision of Monet was of an old, bearded man in a smock quietly painting his water lilies in Giverny....more "I have so much fire in me and so many plans. I always want the impossible. Take clear water with grass waving at the bottom. It's wonderful to look at, but to try to paint it is enough to make one insane."

Oh, to be young, poor, prodigiously gifted, yet unrecognized; this is the Claude Monet that Stephanie Cowell paints for us in Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet. I don't know about you, but my vision of Monet was of an old, bearded man in a smock quietly painting his water lilies in Giverny. The Monet in this book however is a swaggering and penniless young man who lives and breathes to paint - yet no one is buying his paintings. He is in a camaraderie with other impoverished and unknown artists in Paris - Manet, Pisarro, Renoir, Sisley. Perhaps like me you've got a romantic idea of starving artists living a bohemian existence in a Parisian garrett, but Cowell also writes about the long, lean years when the only things in abundance are talent and vision.

The depiction of these artists and the birth of Impressionism is a fascinating one - the constant struggle to make ends meet, having to run from creditors, begging for money from disapproving family, even painting over canvases again and again because one could not afford to buy new ones. If you long to be a witness to these geniuses when they were all in the same room - you can, by reading this book.

Cowell gives us a superb impression of 19th Century Parisian life and the surrounding sea and country landscapes that so enchanted Monet. There are plenty of beautifully imagined scenes of seeing the world through an artist's eyes, but I would have liked more on Impressionism and how Monet and his fellow artists developed their style.

We are, however, introduced to the great love of Monet's life, his first muse, the pretty and mercurial Camille Doncieux. She gives up all the comforts of her middle-class family and a monied fiance to run away with the poor Monet. We see her as Monet sees her, with her beauty and mystery. Theirs is not a perfect union of passion; we see their frustrations, their shared tragedies, her illnesses, his infidelity.

Cowell's narrative subtly changed for me, reflecting Monet's growth over the years. It starts out much like the young Monet - a bit shallow, but as the story of his life and his love unfolds, the book ripens into something deeper and more meaningful. Cowell's Monet is very much a genius, but in this novel we also see him as a man with insecurities, regrets, and mistakes like any other. Claude and Camille is vivid novel about a larger than life figure and the woman who inspired him.(less)

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Apr 03, 2011 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started this book knowing very little about Claude Monet’s background and his love for the charming young Camille. All I knew about him was his painting of the Water Lilies and that’s it so I had no idea if I was going to just like this book or if I was going to fall in love with it. I chose the latter! I absolutely loved it! Like wow!

The author, Stephanie Cowell, did an amazing job telling Claude and Camille’s love story, but it wasn’t just a love story for me. Stephanie really portrayed what...more I started this book knowing very little about Claude Monet’s background and his love for the charming young Camille. All I knew about him was his painting of the Water Lilies and that’s it so I had no idea if I was going to just like this book or if I was going to fall in love with it. I chose the latter! I absolutely loved it! Like wow!

The author, Stephanie Cowell, did an amazing job telling Claude and Camille’s love story, but it wasn’t just a love story for me. Stephanie really portrayed what it was like to be a struggling artist in Paris. Like most artists, you start out having to prove yourself to the world, which is exactly what Claude Monet had to do and it was not an overnight thing. He really struggled to make it and he had a lot of ups and downs and many bumps in the road. What I really enjoyed about this book was learning how artists would stick together back then. They really had each other’s backs, which to me seems odd. Stephanie describes how Claude and his friends had to sleep in tiny rooms where one would sleep on the bed, one would have the couch and the others had to sleep on the hard floor. There was one scene where Stephanie describes Claude’s friends sleeping under their easels and then waking up in the morning to continue their paintings. To me that’s dedication!

Stephanie told a very honest story, which stayed true to the facts. Little is known about Camille, which really gave Stephanie room to explore and create the extremely complex and fascinating character of Camille. As I continued to read and learn more about Monet and his many struggles I really questioned how any woman could put up with him and live in such squalid living conditions for as long as she did. Claude could not have been an easy man to live with. He was constantly gone on a painting excursion, therefore, leaving Camille to fend for herself and the baby throughout the day. But then I realized why this is such a wonderful love story. Camille really supported and encouraged Claude’s work that was one of the things that she really loved about him. Yes, if you read this book you will see that no relationship is perfect and this one was far from it, but that is what makes this book so captivating! Every detail was aired out for the reader to witness. Stephanie didn’t sugar coat anything, therefore, making it one of the most honest and awe inspiring books I have ever read.

This book is highly recommended! It took Stephanie Cowell five years to write and research this novel and it is definitely apparent. This is probably one of the best books I have read this year!

If you would like a chance to read this book I have 3 books up for grabs! Giveaway ends April 15th 2011. Visit my site to sign up: http://allthingshistoricalfiction.blo...(less)

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Aug 07, 2010 Erika Robuck rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“He always began in apprehension. If it worked, there would be a time when the painting took him, when it reached out and he became it, when he smelled of oil and mineral spirits, when he and the air became one.”

Claude and Camille, Stephanie Cowell

Claude and Camille, by Stephanie Cowell, was published in April of 2010 and is 352 pages. It is the story of the impressionist painter, Monet, his love and muse, Camille Donceaux, and his rise to prominence . It spans most of his life, finely detailing...more “He always began in apprehension. If it worked, there would be a time when the painting took him, when it reached out and he became it, when he smelled of oil and mineral spirits, when he and the air became one.”

Claude and Camille, Stephanie Cowell

Claude and Camille, by Stephanie Cowell, was published in April of 2010 and is 352 pages. It is the story of the impressionist painter, Monet, his love and muse, Camille Donceaux, and his rise to prominence . It spans most of his life, finely detailing his relationship with his art, his family, his friends, and his women. It is an epic work, and one of the finest historical novels I’ve ever read.

The story begins with seventeen year old Claude–a creative, confident man full of the passions of youth and his own ambition. To his father’s dismay he refuses to work in the family business, but instead, devotes his time to painting with the artist, Boudin, who introduces him to landscapes.

After the death of his beloved mother, Monet moves to Paris to pursue his dream. Through art classes and cafes he finds his friends, a group of struggling painters including Renoir, Pissarro, Manet, and Frederic Bazille. They share crowded studio apartments, painting by day and sleeping on the floor next to one another by night.

After being drafted and serving in the military, Claude returns to Paris and meets his muse, his love, his life’s greatest passion: Camille, the daughter of a wealthy Parisian family, not at all enamored with their daughter’s choice of lover. The rest of the book explores his tumultuous love affair with Camille, his family, and his art, and is framed in interludes from his old age that give the work a tender, nostalgic quality.

This book taught me so much. I delighted in scrolling through scores of impressionist paintings online–touched by what I now knew of their origin, and how to look at them. As a writer, I could identify with the frustrations Monet endured on his long, slow path to recognition. The passionate way Cowell portrayed Claude and Camille’s love story was deeply touching and authentic.

Nothing gives me greater joy than falling in love with an author’s work, and finding out that there’s more of it I haven’t read. I intent to read all of Ms. Cowell’s books this summer, and I imagine I’ll have more five-star reviews following this one.(less)

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May 31, 2010 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

How immersed one can get into fictionalized biography! Monet the artist is Claude; Camille is his love. The author puts us into the life of the group of artisits who worked together, lived their art, begged relatives and friends for money to live on, and created the paintings that gave us our beloved "Impressionists". I followed Claude and Camille throughout her life of love and lonliness crises with this self centered artist workaholic. The author seems to paint the story with words so I felt I...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Patti rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Claude Monet was obviously a truly talented artist and leader of the Impressionist movement. This book takes a look at some of his most intimate relationships with his family, his close friends and fellow painters, and his love life with Camille Doncieux. While his gift of art is not disputed, I found myself struggling with whether or not I liked him throughout this book. Camille is a sympathetic character, steadfast, loyal, and willing to put her own dreams aside for the relationship.

Apparentl...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Zoe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beautiful and bittersweet love story

Most muses are enigmatic, a face in a painting, a elegant and beautiful woman walking in the garden , or even inspiration behind a story . Unforgettable yet obscure, they fascinate modern admirers, and from "Birth of Venus" to "Flaming June" we are compelled to imagine them and postulate lives around them in the same way we yearn to solve a mystery, but Camille was a real and true one , she left her wealthy home to become his muse, his friend and wife , and...more

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May 14, 2011 Donna rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: french, women-writers

I picked up this book at the airport bookshop on my way to France. I thought it would put me in a French frame of mind, but instead I found it as grating as the flight attendant's poorly-pronounced French.

Ms. Cowell may have visited Paris and Monet's Home in Giverny as part of her "research," but her knowledge of the language, culture, and artistic milieu of late 19th-century Paris is so superficial that she should have been embarrassed to tackle the subject. I enjoy historical fiction and parti...more

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Jun 24, 2010 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

I love a good piece of historical fiction and I found that in CLAUDE AND CAMILLE. This book follows the tumultuous marriage of Claude Monet and his first wife Camille. It also gives the reader a glimpse into the origins of the Impressionist movement. The book begins with Claude as a young man who spends his days drawing caricatures. He is inspired by an older painter to try his hand at oil painting "en plein air" and it changes his life...more

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Apr 06, 2010 JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, received_for_review, 3_stars, author_american, fiction, historical_fiction, read_in_2010, reviewed, setting_france, gave_away

This is the story of Claude Monet; his great love, Camille Doncieux; and their life as they struggle together in the years before his fame.

I started reading this not knowing anything about Monet except that I used to have a print of one of his works hanging in my bedroom. I also don't know much about art except that I know what I like. I have enjoyed reading fiction about art and artists in the past, so I thought I'd give this a try.

It was okay. It is always amazing to me that artists who are ge...more This is the story of Claude Monet; his great love, Camille Doncieux; and their life as they struggle together in the years before his fame.

I started reading this not knowing anything about Monet except that I used to have a print of one of his works hanging in my bedroom. I also don't know much about art except that I know what I like. I have enjoyed reading fiction about art and artists in the past, so I thought I'd give this a try.

It was okay. It is always amazing to me that artists who are generally accepted to be--I don't know, geniuses?--had to struggle so hard to be recognized back when they first started out, and sometimes even throughout their entire lives. I guess that just goes to show that people are slow to accept change.

The main reason that this got three stars is that it's written in a style that's not really for me. It felt like the author tried to stick very closely to the facts, which I do respect, but that made it feel more like I was reading a biography rather than fiction. I read very, very little non-fiction, so that wasn't a style that worked for me. I'm willing to sacrifice a little truth for a good story! Just ask my husband! ;-)

The angle of approaching Monet's life through his relationship with Camille also didn't quite work for me. It was a stormy relationship, and I'm not one for that kind of drama in real life or the printed page. I want to smack people around, and say, "If you're that unhappy, do something about it!"

I did enjoy reading about Monet's relationships with the other early Impressionists. I had no idea that all these guys hung out together. Reading a list of Monet's friends is like reading a "Who's Who" of the art world. Renoir, Pissarro, Degas, Manet, Cézanne--I know there are more that I'm forgetting. I found myself wishing that I could read more about those relationships. What was included was good and taught me a lot, I just wanted more. I was really curious about Frédéric Bazille. I've never heard of him, but he was a fascinating character. There was always a lot going on behind the scenes with him, and I really wanted to know more.

I do always find myself wishing that publishers would just go ahead and print reproductions of the works in books about art. I knew a few of the paintings that were mentioned, and I would probably recognize more if I saw them, but it would be nice to be able to see Monet's Water Lilies series as I read about it.

This was a good book, there were just a few things that could have made it better for me. I know that not everyone's taste is the same as mine, so there are readers who will enjoy this a lot. Die-hard fans of Monet and readers who regularly read biographies will be among them.

Thanks to Random House for sending me an ARC for review.(less)

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