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Anna Petruk's Reviews > The Masterpiece
The Masterpiece
by
by
Anna Petruk's review
bookshelves: classics, art, french-literature, owned-ebook, freebie, translated, e-book, favorites, fiction, great-writing, read-in-english
Aug 23, 2019
bookshelves: classics, art, french-literature, owned-ebook, freebie, translated, e-book, favorites, fiction, great-writing, read-in-english
This book has absolutely WRECKED me. This review is written by a pile of ashes.
The Masterpiece is populated by artists, passionate, ambitious and young, feverish with their ideas and ideals. They are immersed in the world of literature and art, contribute to it, fight against it and for it. They crave glory and kill themselves with work, striving to rise above mediocrity. And people who love them have to deal with all of that, and it's a lot. It was fascinating and heartbreaking, really.
The writing was amazing. I fell in love with the characters and empathized with a lot of what they felt and thought. Zola is now one of my favorite writers. "The Masterpiece" is a work of pure genius.
I picked this book up as a tie-in for my non-fiction read of Degas, because the main character, a fictional artist Claude Lantier, is also a XIX-century impressionist making a career in Paris. Though it is said Lantier was actually based partly on Cezanne, partly on Manet, who were friends with Zola.
The Masterpiece is populated by artists, passionate, ambitious and young, feverish with their ideas and ideals. They are immersed in the world of literature and art, contribute to it, fight against it and for it. They crave glory and kill themselves with work, striving to rise above mediocrity. And people who love them have to deal with all of that, and it's a lot. It was fascinating and heartbreaking, really.
The writing was amazing. I fell in love with the characters and empathized with a lot of what they felt and thought. Zola is now one of my favorite writers. "The Masterpiece" is a work of pure genius.
I picked this book up as a tie-in for my non-fiction read of Degas, because the main character, a fictional artist Claude Lantier, is also a XIX-century impressionist making a career in Paris. Though it is said Lantier was actually based partly on Cezanne, partly on Manet, who were friends with Zola.
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Reading Progress
January 19, 2019
– Shelved
March 11, 2019
–
Started Reading
June 23, 2019
–
8.0%
"About a century after technically having “started” this book I’m finally actually reading it. And it’s good!"
June 23, 2019
–
15.0%
"The characters are young and feverishly in live with art and literature, passionate about their work and striving for glory. This is perfect!"
June 29, 2019
–
28.0%
July 13, 2019
–
51.0%
"'Really,' he continued, 'I believe that the world still contains more idiots than downright spiteful people.’"
July 14, 2019
–
63.0%
"“...it was as if something irreparable had taken place, as if something had for ever snapped, leaving a void between them. The formality of marriage seemed to have killed love.”
This book is DESTROYING me 💔💔💔"
This book is DESTROYING me 💔💔💔"
July 18, 2019
–
81.0%
July 20, 2019
–
Finished Reading
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Usha
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Feb 21, 2021 03:37PM
Oh my, I think I need to get to it sooner than later!
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@Usha I hope you love it!
