Sheffner's Reviews > Man of Montmatre; a novel based on the life of Maurice Utrillo

Remarkable. Puts you firmly in the Paris of the beginning of the 20th century. I didn’t think i was going to like this: a mummy’s boy who can’t paint unless he drinks, and is in and out of mental homes? Charming! But Utrillo is an admirable figure in some unexpected ways: his down-to-earthiness, his lack of interest in theoretical blah-blah, his commitment to painting, the act itself, his simplicity, his loyalty. Painting a thousand canvases during WWI?

The Longstreets have done a remarkable job of bringing this man and his time to life. Some fine, witty repartee, too.

Personally, the most impressive thing about this book was the fact that the authors didn’t end with the death of any of the main characters. That would have been the expected thing, the predictable thing. They avoid that pitfall neatly.