Book Review: CLAUDE AND CAMILLE by Stephanie Cowell

What an interesting read, Claude being none other than the famous Claude Monet. Since I love art I can really get into this one and feel it. After all maybe it was a strong woman I needed to bring me out of my William Marshall funk. 

This read made me realize that I knew only half of Claude Monet. The half I knew was the half that belonged to the water lilies. This read was about an extraordinary life, and a even more remarkable man, and a deep complex love that defied the odds. Love between Claude and Camille was powerful, they became a love story similar to Romeo and Juliet, magnetic and lovely all at once. Camille was the good girl from the to do family that fell in love with the poor artist who paid her to model for him. Leaving it all behind it was only Claude’s love that mattered.

Camille I never knew even existed and now that I have read Clause and Camille I could never forget her. Tragedy after tragedy, never really standing on solid footing was the life of an artist and that included his wife. The phrase “poor starving artist” was brought to dramatic light because they came very close a few times. A passion and a dream was sometimes all they had but it did not matter because they had each other.

5/5 Highly recommended, I really enjoyed this read it was powerful and moving. Lately I have not had the time to research my reads; I was compelled to do so this time. It was thrilling to see the painting after finishing the read. Lets just say it gave me goose bumps. I feel like I really know Claude now and I will never see his peaceful water lilies in the same light again. It is unique how compelling this read was. Painful as it was to read Claude and Camille’s struggle on the road to fame, a dream is always worth it and true talent always speaks for itself.  

Thank you to Stephanie Cowell for sending me this wonderful book, I really did love it.

April 12 – Author Guest Post at All Things Royal, Arleigh’s Creative Post at Historical-Fiction.com