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Seducing Ingrid Bergman
The beautiful Casablanca star, the world's greatest war photographer, and the secret love affair that would change their lives forever . . . in Chris Greenhalgh's Seducing Ingrid Bergman
June 1945. When Ingrid Bergman walks into the lobby of the Ritz hotel in Paris, war photographer Robert Capa is enchanted. From the moment he slips a mischievous invitation to dinner under her door, the two find themselves helplessly attracted. Played out against the cafés and nightclubs of post-war Paris and the parties and studios of Hollywood, they pursue an intense and increasingly reckless affair.
But the light-hearted Capa, who likes nothing more than to spend his mornings reading in the tub and his afternoons at the racetrack, is not all that he seems. And Ingrid offers the promise of salvation to a man haunted by the horrors of war, his father's suicide, and the death of a former lover for which he blames himself. Addicted to risk, Capa must wrestle his devils, including gambling and drink, and resist an impulse to go off and photograph yet another war.
Meanwhile, Ingrid, trapped in a passionless marriage and with a seven-year-old daughter to bring up, must court scandal and risk compromising her Hollywood career and saintly reputation if their love is to survive. With their happiness and identities at stake, both Capa and Ingrid are presented with terrible choices.
June 1945. When Ingrid Bergman walks into the lobby of the Ritz hotel in Paris, war photographer Robert Capa is enchanted. From the moment he slips a mischievous invitation to dinner under her door, the two find themselves helplessly attracted. Played out against the cafés and nightclubs of post-war Paris and the parties and studios of Hollywood, they pursue an intense and increasingly reckless affair.
But the light-hearted Capa, who likes nothing more than to spend his mornings reading in the tub and his afternoons at the racetrack, is not all that he seems. And Ingrid offers the promise of salvation to a man haunted by the horrors of war, his father's suicide, and the death of a former lover for which he blames himself. Addicted to risk, Capa must wrestle his devils, including gambling and drink, and resist an impulse to go off and photograph yet another war.
Meanwhile, Ingrid, trapped in a passionless marriage and with a seven-year-old daughter to bring up, must court scandal and risk compromising her Hollywood career and saintly reputation if their love is to survive. With their happiness and identities at stake, both Capa and Ingrid are presented with terrible choices.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 24, 2017
Love affair between Ingrid Bergman and Robert Capa. Capa was a Hungarian photographer, and if you've seen those famous photos from D-Day, he made those :0
She was famous actress, married with a child, when she arrived in Paris just after war in Europe ended and met this funny, easy going guy. And the story begins...
She was famous actress, married with a child, when she arrived in Paris just after war in Europe ended and met this funny, easy going guy. And the story begins...
March 7, 2014
I received this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I did not realize when I entered the giveaway for this book that this was actually a novel. It wasn't until I opened the book and the first page was written in first person that I realized it was a novel. (Goes to show you how much attention I paid to the cover although in my defense is it possible to see much on the cover beyond Ingrid's stunning face?) So I feel as though my initial expectations of the book before I started reading might have influenced my opinion of the story.
The fact that it was a novel made it perhaps a little too personally invasive for my taste. I was uncomfortable with the level of detail of the relationship--not that it was in any way really graphic, but I felt voyeuristic when the scenes became more intimate. The fact that some of the book is narrated in first person by Capa made it even more personalized--the author isn't just speculating about what may have occurred in the bedroom between these two people, he's putting very intimate words, emotions and motivations into that speculation.
The writing itself I also found to be a bit of a struggle. The constant changing from first person Capa to third person Ingrid (and why was he always "Capa" and never "Robert"?) was dizzying. I suspect some of that was intentional, but it left me feeling off balance much of the book. I also found the language and the sentence structure to be contrived feeling.
Overall it was a fairly readable book--I finished it in a couple of evenings--but generally unsatisfactory.
I did not realize when I entered the giveaway for this book that this was actually a novel. It wasn't until I opened the book and the first page was written in first person that I realized it was a novel. (Goes to show you how much attention I paid to the cover although in my defense is it possible to see much on the cover beyond Ingrid's stunning face?) So I feel as though my initial expectations of the book before I started reading might have influenced my opinion of the story.
The fact that it was a novel made it perhaps a little too personally invasive for my taste. I was uncomfortable with the level of detail of the relationship--not that it was in any way really graphic, but I felt voyeuristic when the scenes became more intimate. The fact that some of the book is narrated in first person by Capa made it even more personalized--the author isn't just speculating about what may have occurred in the bedroom between these two people, he's putting very intimate words, emotions and motivations into that speculation.
The writing itself I also found to be a bit of a struggle. The constant changing from first person Capa to third person Ingrid (and why was he always "Capa" and never "Robert"?) was dizzying. I suspect some of that was intentional, but it left me feeling off balance much of the book. I also found the language and the sentence structure to be contrived feeling.
Overall it was a fairly readable book--I finished it in a couple of evenings--but generally unsatisfactory.
October 1, 2022
If I could I would give it a 0 but thats not possible so I give it a… 1
October 15, 2014
I started into this book looking for the sensual texture and melodious rhythm of Coco and Igor, and found it lacking, despite incidental joys like this:
About half way through, the book suddenly detours from a tale of romance into a plummeting Hitchcockian spiral of lust and obsession. Before you have recovered it side steps into an Ibsen play: a gorgeous woman caught in a cage; her lover, a narcissist in pain; she wants to consume him; he longs for annihilation; she is cruel, desiring; he is alternatively needy and abusive. You hate him. You feel pain for her ... But wait! she is Ingrid Bergman, which means that while she is Sister Mary Benedict and Jeanne d'Arc she is equally Alicia Hubermann--a dark, twisted soul longing for redemption--and Joan Madou.
At times, this book lurched in so many directions in search of an identity that I felt like I had the bends. Is this is what happens when a married woman has an affair with a pathologically thrill-seeking, avoidantly-attached drunken war photographer with a death wish? Or is this what happens when a soldier with PTSD falls for the stuff of legends, is drawn into her orbit and slowly fades to nothingness next to her celestial brilliance?
I am in awe of this writer. How does he manage to create such characters who live and breath and convince? Moreover that he can use two separate points of view: Capa's first person and Capa's imagined third person for Bergman (yes, trippy), and in doing so create an ever shifting perspective of victim/perpetrator ... well, it's a feat.
As a person Ingrid Bergman has always been uninteresting to me. She was too beautiful. "Bullet-proof" they called her because the camera couldn't kill her beauty from any direction. She was beloved, cherished, adored. I hate (and envy) her on principle. But she looks different in this "real" life--a cigarette between her fingertips; she's harder, more human, more manipulative and destructive, much more the architect of her own unhappiness. Infinitely more fascinating.
This book has left me with an ambiguous hangover. I wanted it to be different; I was impressed by what it was. I was appalled by the sensationalistic title and its unworthy cover, which I feared gave people on the metro the wrong impression of what I was reading.
But also this book is the best kind of literature; it is truthful. In it I recognized men I have loved and I recognized a pale echo of myself who even when loved was still unsatisfied. War and Peace--the mirror-novel within this novel--reminds us that passionate attraction is elemental, biological, and remorselessly crushed by its enemy: Time. Do not read this book expecting to walk away uplifted. War, movies, beauty--all rise and fall, fade, disappear, are born again and again and again.
Back in my own room a half an hour later, I lie awake staring at the ceiling. The bed is cool and empty. The bleaching sweep of car headlights generates sly angles across the wallsand:
I feel myself fall into a long nothingness. A steep sorrow. Sleep.Mr. Greenhalgh's visual metaphor and alliterative, perfectly metered sentences still make me wild with envy and satisfaction. (Though I find Capa--the main character--loathsome.)
About half way through, the book suddenly detours from a tale of romance into a plummeting Hitchcockian spiral of lust and obsession. Before you have recovered it side steps into an Ibsen play: a gorgeous woman caught in a cage; her lover, a narcissist in pain; she wants to consume him; he longs for annihilation; she is cruel, desiring; he is alternatively needy and abusive. You hate him. You feel pain for her ... But wait! she is Ingrid Bergman, which means that while she is Sister Mary Benedict and Jeanne d'Arc she is equally Alicia Hubermann--a dark, twisted soul longing for redemption--and Joan Madou.
At times, this book lurched in so many directions in search of an identity that I felt like I had the bends. Is this is what happens when a married woman has an affair with a pathologically thrill-seeking, avoidantly-attached drunken war photographer with a death wish? Or is this what happens when a soldier with PTSD falls for the stuff of legends, is drawn into her orbit and slowly fades to nothingness next to her celestial brilliance?
I am in awe of this writer. How does he manage to create such characters who live and breath and convince? Moreover that he can use two separate points of view: Capa's first person and Capa's imagined third person for Bergman (yes, trippy), and in doing so create an ever shifting perspective of victim/perpetrator ... well, it's a feat.
As a person Ingrid Bergman has always been uninteresting to me. She was too beautiful. "Bullet-proof" they called her because the camera couldn't kill her beauty from any direction. She was beloved, cherished, adored. I hate (and envy) her on principle. But she looks different in this "real" life--a cigarette between her fingertips; she's harder, more human, more manipulative and destructive, much more the architect of her own unhappiness. Infinitely more fascinating.
This book has left me with an ambiguous hangover. I wanted it to be different; I was impressed by what it was. I was appalled by the sensationalistic title and its unworthy cover, which I feared gave people on the metro the wrong impression of what I was reading.
But also this book is the best kind of literature; it is truthful. In it I recognized men I have loved and I recognized a pale echo of myself who even when loved was still unsatisfied. War and Peace--the mirror-novel within this novel--reminds us that passionate attraction is elemental, biological, and remorselessly crushed by its enemy: Time. Do not read this book expecting to walk away uplifted. War, movies, beauty--all rise and fall, fade, disappear, are born again and again and again.
Past and present dissolve until there's only the now.Here is what Mr. Greenhalgh does well: truth.
April 4, 2015
The two lead characters in this romantic novel (but not a romance novel) are two compelling personalities, photographer Robert Capa and Hollywood legend Ingrid Bergman. It covers the period of time the two spent as lovers starting in France in 1945 and ending in California about two years later. The novel tells us it should not have ended. One suspects that the later spectacular dissolution of the Lindstrom marriage began before Capa and was fueled by the affair but that is not definitive. What is clear as that Bergman was tiring of the restricted life that her Hollywood obligations forced her into and that Capa was her first breakout, She split with Hollywood, only partially by design, when she met director Roberto Rossellini, had an affair with him while they were both married, had twin girls (Ingrid and Isolta) and was banned from film for several years and shunned. You can get most of the details about her life with Petta Lindstrom, a Swedish dentist, and why that marriage was doomed from this juicy but truthful novel. Most of it is concerned with the rapturous love both Bergman and Capa felt in their relationship as they moved around the globe, including a stay in Hollywood where Capa served as still photographer for Alfred Hitchcock as he shot Notorious starring Bergman. This was a job that Capa did very well though it did not fit his style, framed by battle in the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War and Vietnam, which killed him in 1954 at the age of 40. The novel ends with his death and Bergman’s reaction to it while she was on stage, winning a Tony for her role of Joan of Arc. Pia Lindstrom is a pre-teen during the action in the book and Petta tended to her as Bergman was at the height of her fame and enjoying her top-drawer status. She enjoyed all but her domestic live with Lindstrom. He comes off as very officious, somewhat cold, yet devoted to her career. He served as her manager. Capa and Lindstrom did not meet until late in the relationship but the dentist remained married to Bergman for some years after Capa died. Capa took thousands of pictures of her, some still existing. He loved close ups for battle photography and followed that plan in his brief Hollywood stint. Like so many love affairs that are not domesticated, one feels this one was doomed as well. Capa could not stay off the battlefield and Bergman was not about to drop her career for life as a photographer’s wife, waiting to hear bad news from a foreign battlefield. Marriage might have allowed them to meld their relationship, but neither could take the final step. Capa’s most famous single photograph is of a Loyalist soldier in the Spanish Civil War shot just as he went over the barricade, in full extension of his riddled body. It later became the subject of charges that Capa posed the shot, which seems highly unlikely. That incident and photograph are mentioned in passing in the novel. George Patton always said that he wanted to die with the last bullet fired in the last war. It may be a shame that Capa couldn’t have shared that kind of fate, but then again, he would never have met Ingrid Bergman. A fascinating novel, utterly readable and utterly romantic in the grand style. Recommended highly.
August 1, 2016
Ingrid Bergman ve Robert Capa arasındaki yasak aşka tanıklık etmek şahaneydi. Bergman hayatında ilk kez gerçek aşkı ve arzuyu tatmışken, ilk kez gerçekten zincirlerinden kurtulup yaşadığını hissetmeye başlamışken ve Capa ilk kez kendisine savaş fotoğrafçısı olarak savaşlardan elini eteğini çektirtecek olağanüstü bir kadın bulmuşken böylesine bir son keşke olmasaydı. Keşke Bergman kocasıyla ve kariyeriyle ilgili endişelerini bir kenara bırakabilseydi, Capa ise özgürlük duygusundan biraz feragat edebilseydi de her şey bambaşka olabilseydi diye düşünmeden edemiyor insan doğrusu. Kitabın sonunda dünyayı renkleriyle görmeye alışkın olan Capa'nın gözlerinin artık sonsuz bir siyahlıktan ötesini göremeyeceğini okuyunca bu keşkenin ne kadar imkansız olduğunu anlamak gerçekten kahrediciydi.
September 13, 2014
I read this novel because I have a bit of an obsession with Robert Capa and wanted to know more about his life. Of course, I'm sure Chris Greenhalgh has used a bit of artistic licence, but it seems he has done his homework and with much of it based on autobiographies by Capa and Bergman I'm prepared to immerse myself in the world he's created. It worked for me - but can see why it might not work for everyone. It's always tricky putting real people in the novels you write. Read my full review here
September 13, 2016
I ordered this book in anticipation of a great read ...the title is so seductive...what a disappointment ...mediocre writing overwrought with cliches and ponderous affected phrasing ...reading it was like making ones way through a wordy jungle with a machete ...where were the editors? I finally had to put it down...if anything it made think that if this can get published, then I better start writing.
August 5, 2014
The only thing seducing about this book was the gift to put me to sleep! The writing style was horrific,forgettable characters and undefined plot. I really need to trust my instincts more,just a laughable book all around.
EPIC FAIL!
EPIC FAIL!
April 13, 2020
|Paryžius taip tiksliai suprojektuotas, mąsto, viskas sustatyta kvadratais ir apskritimais, kruopščiai simetriškai išguldyta. Tai primena, koks suplanuotas yra jos pačios gyvenimas, kaip tiksliai viskas suorganizuota ir kaip ji trokšta padaryti ką nors spontaniško, išsivaduoti iš šios tvarkos.|
Autorius pasirinko įdomią pasakojimo manierą: fotografas Kapa čia kalba pirmuoju asmeniu, tuo tarpu Ingridos mintys spekuliuojamos pasitelkiant trečiąjį asmenį. Pati istorija tikrai įdomi ir ši knyga dar kartą patvirtina paprastą, bet taip pamirštamą tiesą: ne piniguose laimė bei atskleidžia, kokia yra buvimo garsenybe kaina. Ingrida turi viską: vaidmenis kine, ji puikuojasi ant žurnalų viršelių, turi vyrą ir dukrą. Bet jos viduje tokia tuštuma, kurią užpildyti pajėgia tik vargšas fotografas. Tačiau kažkaip didelės užuojautos jausmo knygoje jai nepajutau, man labiau buvo gaila fotografo. Gal to priežastis ta, kad jis čia kalbėjo pirmuoju asmeniu, todėl pasirodė skaitytojui artimesnis. Ypač ta scena, kai Ingrida trenkia savo dukrai, kuri išterlioja jos suknel��, privertė net pasibjaurėti visų dievinama aktore. Puiku, kad Chris Greenhalgh nesudievino kino žvaigždės ir knygoje atskleidė ją kaip paprastą žmogų, kuris turi jausmų ir palūžta. Meilės istorija galbūt ir buvo graži, bet niekados neapleido tikrovės jausmas: atsakomybė už šeimą, todėl gal labiau skaitant kėlė ne susižavėjimo, o nerimo jausmą. Knygos istorija paremta tikrais įvykiais ir daug žadanti, bet išpildymui man labai pritrūko gilumo.
https://www.time4book.com/chris-green...
Autorius pasirinko įdomią pasakojimo manierą: fotografas Kapa čia kalba pirmuoju asmeniu, tuo tarpu Ingridos mintys spekuliuojamos pasitelkiant trečiąjį asmenį. Pati istorija tikrai įdomi ir ši knyga dar kartą patvirtina paprastą, bet taip pamirštamą tiesą: ne piniguose laimė bei atskleidžia, kokia yra buvimo garsenybe kaina. Ingrida turi viską: vaidmenis kine, ji puikuojasi ant žurnalų viršelių, turi vyrą ir dukrą. Bet jos viduje tokia tuštuma, kurią užpildyti pajėgia tik vargšas fotografas. Tačiau kažkaip didelės užuojautos jausmo knygoje jai nepajutau, man labiau buvo gaila fotografo. Gal to priežastis ta, kad jis čia kalbėjo pirmuoju asmeniu, todėl pasirodė skaitytojui artimesnis. Ypač ta scena, kai Ingrida trenkia savo dukrai, kuri išterlioja jos suknel��, privertė net pasibjaurėti visų dievinama aktore. Puiku, kad Chris Greenhalgh nesudievino kino žvaigždės ir knygoje atskleidė ją kaip paprastą žmogų, kuris turi jausmų ir palūžta. Meilės istorija galbūt ir buvo graži, bet niekados neapleido tikrovės jausmas: atsakomybė už šeimą, todėl gal labiau skaitant kėlė ne susižavėjimo, o nerimo jausmą. Knygos istorija paremta tikrais įvykiais ir daug žadanti, bet išpildymui man labai pritrūko gilumo.
https://www.time4book.com/chris-green...
October 8, 2021
It started off so promising and Greenhalgh appears to be the type of writer who enjoys writing but I could neither care about the characters nor what happened in the end. I tried but I gave up about two-thirds in.
September 23, 2023
I could not finish this. Possibly one of the worst books I’ve read. The characters are written in such a deeply unlikeable way and it’s very clear from the descriptions of women and sex that this book was written by a man.
I’m sure this is for someone but it’s certainly not for me.
I’m sure this is for someone but it’s certainly not for me.
January 26, 2021
Karo išgyvenimais persmelkta meilės istorija. Kupina slogučio, ir šaltumo.
July 7, 2021
It's a true romance and for some reason I'm not loving it. For one thing it goes on and on about stuff which I find boring.
May 15, 2023
This is a beautiful book.
November 16, 2012
The story opens with Robert Capa taking photographs while parachuting with the paratroopers from the 17th Airbourne Division. It’s a March day in 1945. This is my favourite part of the book. It’s full of action and very descriptive.
Next, we’re with Ingrid at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on the night she wins an Academy Award. Husband Petter does not appear to be happy and they leave after midnight at Petter’s request … before dessert and the dancing begins. Ingrid should be feeling euphoric but she’s feeling flat.
This is our introduction of the two leads and where they are in their lives. Once they’ve met at The Ritz, the story unfolds of their attraction and their affair.
There are two narratives in Seducing Ingrid Bergman. When Capa is involved the narrative is from his perspective (1st person) while time with Ingrid is 3rd person.
Although Greenhalgh’s writing technique includes personification/metaphors (which if you read my reviews you’ll know I love, adding depth and meaning for me) I feel there were too many. This meant I didn’t engage with the story as much as I thought I would. The ‘flowery’ language created a wall so that I didn’t experience the emotions of the characters, therefore not identifying with either leads.
There is another part of the story I enjoyed … when Capa is narrating the liberation of Paris. This came to to life for me with how Greenhalgh conveys the exuberance of the city.
My enjoyment may have been greatly reduced because of my lack of engagement with the leads but EasyLiving has this to say:
“Absorbing and passionate, the whirlwind romance between the war photographer and actress – who met in Paris 1945, where Bergman had been sent to entertain the troops – will whisk you away to another world. The perfect autumn read. “
I would like to thank the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Next, we’re with Ingrid at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on the night she wins an Academy Award. Husband Petter does not appear to be happy and they leave after midnight at Petter’s request … before dessert and the dancing begins. Ingrid should be feeling euphoric but she’s feeling flat.
This is our introduction of the two leads and where they are in their lives. Once they’ve met at The Ritz, the story unfolds of their attraction and their affair.
There are two narratives in Seducing Ingrid Bergman. When Capa is involved the narrative is from his perspective (1st person) while time with Ingrid is 3rd person.
Although Greenhalgh’s writing technique includes personification/metaphors (which if you read my reviews you’ll know I love, adding depth and meaning for me) I feel there were too many. This meant I didn’t engage with the story as much as I thought I would. The ‘flowery’ language created a wall so that I didn’t experience the emotions of the characters, therefore not identifying with either leads.
There is another part of the story I enjoyed … when Capa is narrating the liberation of Paris. This came to to life for me with how Greenhalgh conveys the exuberance of the city.
My enjoyment may have been greatly reduced because of my lack of engagement with the leads but EasyLiving has this to say:
“Absorbing and passionate, the whirlwind romance between the war photographer and actress – who met in Paris 1945, where Bergman had been sent to entertain the troops – will whisk you away to another world. The perfect autumn read. “
I would like to thank the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2016
Who here is an Ingrid Bergman fan? Everyone, right? I certainly am, which is why I saw this and just had to have it. But upon reading it, I feel ashamed. This book took these two people's innermost secrets and feelings and twisted it into a romance novel for the casual book reader. It isn't like reading about it in a biography of their lives; the novelization of it puts the author and reader right in their heads, experiencing what they felt and what they did. As if we were them. As if it were possible to actually experience what they went through. Big assumptions as to how they felt and what they thought are obviously largely on display here.
This made me uncomfortable because, for Miss Bergman anyway, there is very real ways in which we remember her through her films; impressing upon your mind who you thought she might have been. And to me that was always someone who seemed lively, lovely and yet unfulfilled. Something about her eyes always makes me feel sad. Something about her twinkle made me think she was covering up something hollow. So to read this book and see her depicted in that same way made me mad at myself. And the author.
The lives of these people are interesting ones no doubt, and in a way we have a right to know about our idols, but some stones should be left unturned. And morphing a very real affair of the heart into a novel just seems callous and disrespectful. Read it if you must, but I beg you, don't read into it. 2.5/5
This made me uncomfortable because, for Miss Bergman anyway, there is very real ways in which we remember her through her films; impressing upon your mind who you thought she might have been. And to me that was always someone who seemed lively, lovely and yet unfulfilled. Something about her eyes always makes me feel sad. Something about her twinkle made me think she was covering up something hollow. So to read this book and see her depicted in that same way made me mad at myself. And the author.
The lives of these people are interesting ones no doubt, and in a way we have a right to know about our idols, but some stones should be left unturned. And morphing a very real affair of the heart into a novel just seems callous and disrespectful. Read it if you must, but I beg you, don't read into it. 2.5/5
March 1, 2013
This was a book that I picked up from the shelf in the hotel when I was on holiday so I felt no real obligation to enjoy it or invest much time in it, which is presumably why something so light took me a fortnight to read.
But that said, it was thoroughly enjoyable. The characters were well drawn, I didn't know anything about Ingrid Bergman or her affair. I didn't look to see whether it was a true story until the end, mostly because I was enjoying the ride and didn't want to be influenced either way. I found that the protagonists were sufficiently flawed to make them believable and although I lost sympathy for each character in turn they were no less compelling for that. In some ways i liked them more for their flaws.
the characters were surrounded by well described scenes; images of Paris celebrating the end of the war were particularly evocative. I liked the changes of pace in the story-telling, sometimes it was moment by moment and then months would pass without any real detail.
Was a good read, although I have to be honest not one I'd read again so it will be in greenwich oxfam at the weekend if you want it!
But that said, it was thoroughly enjoyable. The characters were well drawn, I didn't know anything about Ingrid Bergman or her affair. I didn't look to see whether it was a true story until the end, mostly because I was enjoying the ride and didn't want to be influenced either way. I found that the protagonists were sufficiently flawed to make them believable and although I lost sympathy for each character in turn they were no less compelling for that. In some ways i liked them more for their flaws.
the characters were surrounded by well described scenes; images of Paris celebrating the end of the war were particularly evocative. I liked the changes of pace in the story-telling, sometimes it was moment by moment and then months would pass without any real detail.
Was a good read, although I have to be honest not one I'd read again so it will be in greenwich oxfam at the weekend if you want it!
February 10, 2016
I received this book in a First Read giveaway.
I enjoyed this book because it made a realistic, yet still romantic story of how these two got together. I must confess that I am not good at keeping up with actor/actress names, so I didn't realize this was a historical novel when I signed up for it, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would when I realized who the characters were. The characters were surprisingly easy to understand as they slipped into an illicit relationship. My main complaint is that the characters could seem a bit cold and distant sometimes, not relatable to the reader at all. Still, this makes sense, such as in Ingrid's case since she is still a good woman, yet she begins an affair while she's married. She would be a bit distant as she was trying to figure out her emotions for herself.
It is a slow read. I wouldn't go into this expecting the modern day style of a "whirlwind romance." It's really, really slow but builds to wind itself right around your heart. Even now, months after finishing, I still find myself reminiscing about the ending and the effects the characters had on me.
I enjoyed this book because it made a realistic, yet still romantic story of how these two got together. I must confess that I am not good at keeping up with actor/actress names, so I didn't realize this was a historical novel when I signed up for it, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would when I realized who the characters were. The characters were surprisingly easy to understand as they slipped into an illicit relationship. My main complaint is that the characters could seem a bit cold and distant sometimes, not relatable to the reader at all. Still, this makes sense, such as in Ingrid's case since she is still a good woman, yet she begins an affair while she's married. She would be a bit distant as she was trying to figure out her emotions for herself.
It is a slow read. I wouldn't go into this expecting the modern day style of a "whirlwind romance." It's really, really slow but builds to wind itself right around your heart. Even now, months after finishing, I still find myself reminiscing about the ending and the effects the characters had on me.
March 10, 2014
A big thanks to Chris Greenhalgh and Co. for sending this FirstReads copy my way. From a film buff's POV, this was certainly a welcome addition to golden age Hollywood lore, and I'd be delighted to find out it was more truth than conjecture. Even so, this one reads like a movie and I'm not surprised it'll be adapted in short order. Romance may not be my genre of choice, but this one was one for the ages and if it could manage to squeeze some feeling from this cynical stone cold bastard, then it surely works. I look forward to seeing the movie when it does come out, and I'm sure the book will find its audience as well. My father always comes by and borrows from my shelves. Well as of yesterday, and on my recommendation, this was his most recent Sunday steal. Thank you, GoodReads and best of luck, Mr. Greenhalgh. We'll have to look into your previous novels, and do keep em coming. Bravo.
December 12, 2018
The title, that was possibly chosen to sell books, may suggest it is a sexy romance; however, the book, written like poetry (“Traceries of light make nets on the low bridges. There’s a wind off the river, a coolness. The water ripples, phosphorescent, nicked with white, its skin lifting and sinking as if something big stirs within. The moon revolved coldly. Clouds spin as in a bowl.”), is so different than any other book about a celebrity I have ever read that while communicating the relationship between the two main characters on so many different levels, it does an amazing job of describing the inner thoughts and feelings; therefore, the each character’s emotional baggage that decides the decisions they make. I enjoyed reading this bitter sweet story that flows so smoothly and so descriptively. It is a five star book all around, including the writing style, storytelling, and the content. By the way, you don’t have to be an Ingrid Bergman fan to enjoy this book.
March 5, 2015
I enjoyed this book, though I'm not exactly sure why. I read the screenplay adaptation first and then sought out the novel. Not my usual fare, it read like a cheesy romance novel most of the time, with some florid though occasionally lyrical imagery. Written as a fiction account of an affair with 1st person perspective of Robert Capa and 3rd person of Ingrid Bergman its a strange mix of real life drama meets over-dramatic soap opera - something I usually avoid with disdain.
What drew me in were two people who have been on the fringes of my interest for many years and so I suppose my main draw was 'an inside account' on how these two figures met and developed their relationship. If anything this book piqued my interest enough to want to read more about them both - though this time from more 'primary' source material.
What drew me in were two people who have been on the fringes of my interest for many years and so I suppose my main draw was 'an inside account' on how these two figures met and developed their relationship. If anything this book piqued my interest enough to want to read more about them both - though this time from more 'primary' source material.
May 7, 2014
Veru touchy! Romantic, sometimes a bit too much, but this is the author's right to see the real story his way. I liked the way Greenhalgh presented Ingrid. I always thought her stunning and it seems to me the author felt the same. The different feeling I had about his way of portraying Capa. Being familiar with Capa's works I had a different image of him. It seems for me that the author needed to explain why would Ingrid love such man. I assume the problem here is in 1th person writing when it comes to Capa. Even though it didn't bother me that much and I found it rather interesting, to put yourself in the skin of a real person, I would prefer to look on both of them from the distance. But probably then feelings would have been different.
February 9, 2014
A wonderful winter distraction read.... Loved the romance and sensuality of the Bergman in this author's words. I loved a jaunt through dazzling and inspiring Paris at Liberation. It felt like a movie, especially with the Hitchcock angles and references. The characters were compelling, althought I didn't know anything about Capa and Bergman's affair I now want to read more about her life and loves. Such a dramatic psychological downspin in the second half when their affair is falling apart... Definitely a good read, a good escape book for winter. Thank you for the advanced give-away, Goodreads!
November 18, 2012
I enjoyed the novel because I have always been intrigued by Bergman's affair with Capa. By having Capa narrate his own story and having Bergman's story told in third person, Capa comes out as the more interesting character. From all the accounts of Bergman's life, she seems more complex than this version. I realise that this is a novel but it is interesting to look at the psyche of talented women who allow themselves to be dominated by others. Nonetheless as a novel and as a 'version' of their story - I enjoyed it.
April 23, 2016
Ingrid Bergman and Robert Capa really did meet in Paris after WWII. They had an affair there, and then he followed her to the states. That really is true. The details of the affair in this book have to be fiction, but it's a well written and captivating story of being a big time movie star longing to have another kind of life and a war photographer who likes being on the edge of danger and wants to keep moving.
January 13, 2013
While I enjoyed this and read it over a couple of nights I did speed read quite a few chunks, I wasn't ever convinced by the writing that this was a truly unforgettable love affair although the ending was very poignant. The backdrop of Paris just after the end of WW2 was interesting and the filming sequences/Hitchcock references were probably the best sections of the book.
July 18, 2013
Wonderfully descriptive writing, but perhaps too detailed. After a while, I longed for the characters to notice less! I didn't know anything about ingrid or capa, and this book acted as a great introduction. Moving, interesting, but a little overwrought & with some terrible descriptions of sex. Wet mouth?! Oh dear.
January 19, 2015
I tried ... I mean I really, really tried to like this book. I made myself finishing it hoping something intriguing would happen. Instead, it was a just a sad, sad, draggy, on and on and angst of a story that just did not pop my buttons, which is a shame because I have always been fascinated by Bergman.
August 10, 2016
I wanted to like this book, but it is poorly written. I went hoping it would be like McLain's The Paris Wife or Circling the Sun in terms of narrative non-fiction but the 1st person narration of Capa that then tries to narrate Bergman's thoughts & feelings is awful and messy. Too bad this one was so bad because the real people the story is based on are fascinating.
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