What do you think?
Rate this book
The Realist: A Novel of Berenice Abbott
Cleveland, 1910: For a poor girl whose father has abandoned her, the prospect of becoming an artist is almost non-existent. But Bernice Abbott is resourceful and will happily challenge convention in order to succeed.
Setting out to fulfill her dream, she embarks on a journey that will take her from bohemian Greenwich Village to the giddy cafés of 1920s Paris to a New York rising from the ashes of the Great Depression. On the way, illness and a tragic romance test her mettle, but a lucky coincidence leads her to the emerging art form of photography.
Transforming herself from ‘dull’ Bernice to cosmopolitan Berenice, she sets the tone for life as a portrait photographer in the Paris of Hemingway and Picasso, and prepares to take on the men who are threatened by her vision and strength.
Setting out to fulfill her dream, she embarks on a journey that will take her from bohemian Greenwich Village to the giddy cafés of 1920s Paris to a New York rising from the ashes of the Great Depression. On the way, illness and a tragic romance test her mettle, but a lucky coincidence leads her to the emerging art form of photography.
Transforming herself from ‘dull’ Bernice to cosmopolitan Berenice, she sets the tone for life as a portrait photographer in the Paris of Hemingway and Picasso, and prepares to take on the men who are threatened by her vision and strength.
- GenresArt
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 5, 2017
About the author
Sarah Coleman
1 book1 followerLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Sarah Coleman has written about photography, visual art and film for publications including ARTnews, Salon, Communication Arts, Photo District News and View Camera.
Sarah Coleman has written about photography, visual art and film for publications including ARTnews, Salon, Communication Arts, Photo District News and View Camera.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 16, 2018
This is, quite simply, a beautiful novel--gorgeously written, exquisitely researched and deeply imaginative. The Realist is full of detailed, vividly-set scenes, richly-developed characters and a compelling narrative that sustains the reader's interest to the very end. It's also seriously refreshing to have in Berenice Abbott a real-life heroine worth discovering based on her talent, lasting legacy and her contributions to and beyond the world of photography--and not simply because of her relationship with a more famous man. (!) Abbott was both a Realist and a visionary, and Coleman has captured not only her vision but her passion, chutzpah and artistic evolution in this luminous and wonderfully satisfying novel.
April 21, 2018
The timeliness of this lovely novel is undeniable, but that is not the source of the deepest pleasures it provides. Yes, Berenice Abbott faced her own #MeToo moments with her stepfather and powerful men in the art world. But Coleman's empathetic, beautifully-written limning of Abbott's internal life and her vivid descriptions of the settings Abbott moves through (especially Greenwich Village and bohemian Paris) are compelling and irresistible. I do not often find myself both transported and educated (without didacticism) by a novel, but that was my experience of The Realist. Very highly recommended!
May 22, 2018
A wonderful read and an enjoyable opportunity to learn more about this iconic American photographer! I really enjoyed it.
June 8, 2018
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I do. Abbott was a great and influential photographer and her story is inspirational.
This book, though... I’m sorry to say that I found Sarah Coleman’s turgid writing too often bland and the storytelling is heavy-handed and simplistic. She tells the reader that Abbott was heroic, more often than showing her as heroic.
One of the clearest examples of Coleman's heavy-handed writing comes late in the book, early on in the section headed: New York & Ohio, 1951. Abbott is in the waiting room of a doctor's office with her partner Elizabeth McCausland and the reception calls McCausland's name.
"Instinctively, Berenice rises too, only to be frowned at. 'Just Miss McCausland, ma'am.'
" 'I'm her--' Berenice starts, then falters and sits down again. She can't say it, even now. The cowardice makes her feel like a traitor."
Almost 70 years ago, nearly twenty years before the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, there is literally NO word or phrase that Berenice could use to simply identify herself as a person with an unquestionable right to see the doctor with her partner without some ongoing relation with the doctor 's practice. Coleman's attempt to demonstrate this, is undercut by her unwillingness to just let it be a cruel fact of the times. Instead, with the description "She can't say it, even now," Coleman turns what could be a dramatic moment into simplistic, ahistorical gibberish. There are other historical gaffs. And Coleman's treatment of famous artists and other historical figures at crowded events is too often limited by her use of simple name checks and the most cliched character details.
Despite my overall dislike for The Realist, I've added an extra star to my rating because the book inspired me to look at Abbott’s photography again.
This book, though... I’m sorry to say that I found Sarah Coleman’s turgid writing too often bland and the storytelling is heavy-handed and simplistic. She tells the reader that Abbott was heroic, more often than showing her as heroic.
One of the clearest examples of Coleman's heavy-handed writing comes late in the book, early on in the section headed: New York & Ohio, 1951. Abbott is in the waiting room of a doctor's office with her partner Elizabeth McCausland and the reception calls McCausland's name.
"Instinctively, Berenice rises too, only to be frowned at. 'Just Miss McCausland, ma'am.'
" 'I'm her--' Berenice starts, then falters and sits down again. She can't say it, even now. The cowardice makes her feel like a traitor."
Almost 70 years ago, nearly twenty years before the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, there is literally NO word or phrase that Berenice could use to simply identify herself as a person with an unquestionable right to see the doctor with her partner without some ongoing relation with the doctor 's practice. Coleman's attempt to demonstrate this, is undercut by her unwillingness to just let it be a cruel fact of the times. Instead, with the description "She can't say it, even now," Coleman turns what could be a dramatic moment into simplistic, ahistorical gibberish. There are other historical gaffs. And Coleman's treatment of famous artists and other historical figures at crowded events is too often limited by her use of simple name checks and the most cliched character details.
Despite my overall dislike for The Realist, I've added an extra star to my rating because the book inspired me to look at Abbott’s photography again.
December 27, 2018
Sarah Coleman’s THE REALIST is a novel about the life and work of Berenice Abbott, a strong-headed and talented photographer.
The book opens as Berenice is giving a speech at the first National Conference on Photography in 1951. We are introduced to important players in her professional life, including the men who will be her roadblocks and individuals who will inspire her. In her speech, she insists that the talents of women photographers are overlooked. The female artists are disadvantaged due to the sexism of camera companies, curators, editors and publishers. Coleman is able to perfectly capture the interiority of this moment; Berenice is an accomplished photographer, “but right now she might as well be her ten-year-old self: awkward, plain Bernice.”
The book is divided into parts, anchored by their location and year. The opening of each part features a photograph of Abbott’s, which gives readers insight into the work being discussed in the novel. We can immediately see the tension in Bernice’s relationship with her mother, especially after her stepfather attempts to rape her. Instead of looking up to her mother, Bernice finds inspiration in other female role models, such as Nelly Bly. She writes an essay about heroes: “Like Miss Bly, I will seek experiences and challenge the limitation of my sex.” These details foreshadow how Abbott will live. Coleman writes with a careful attention to how Bernice reacts to the art she sees in everyday life, even as a child.
At Ohio State University in 1918, Bernice meets Lilian Watkins, an actress who will change her life. Bernice moves to New York with Lil and her boyfriend, where they are engulfed by a world of art and eccentricity. She dabbles in a variety of arts, primarily sculpting. She understands her appreciation of art in the everyday --- “shop signs, salt shakers” --- and begins to appreciate photography after she models for Man Ray. The artists she meets are written as rich and exciting characters, so much so that readers almost forget they are real people.
Repressed sexuality is an important theme throughout the novel. Bernice has an unwavering attraction to Lil. She kisses her one evening as they are running lines before a play, and both come down with the Spanish flu. Bernice lives, but Lil does not. There is intense guilt and the shame surrounding her sexuality. Lil’s death leads to Bernice moving to Paris, where she becomes Man Ray’s assistant and ultimately finds success on her own as a photographer. It is also here where she meets Tylia, a lover who will christen Bernice under her new name, Berenice. This subtle change signifies a turning point in her life.
Berenice finds success in Paris as she takes portraits for high-profile clients like Peggy Guggenheim. Man Ray cannot handle her success. Berenice quits and decides to return to New York.
New York provides a second wave of artistic inspiration for Berenice, but she struggles financially in the midst of the Depression. Still, she continues a project that will move her for the next several years: Changing New York. The passion that moves her is obvious. Berenice falls in love --- twice --- with a man named Rod and a writer named Liz, who is her partner until Liz’s death. She experiences discrimination both for her sexuality and her gender. She takes photos for magazines and has her first show overshadowed by Salvador Dali. Alfred Stieglitz’s “Spiritual America,” an image of a castrated horse, haunts her throughout her career almost as much as Stieglitz himself.
The novel ends with Berenice taking her first flight to a conference in Aspen. Its closing does not do justice to the 50 pages before it, which are filled with large, powerful moments in which Berenice comes to terms with her sexuality, her mother, and the triumphs and failures of her career. The novel concludes as the plane takes off, implying that Berenice will also soar. It is a wrap-up that feels too tidy for a book that is so true to the complexities of life. The opening chapter, however, is more satisfying for readers after understanding the frustration Berenice has experienced in her career.
THE REALIST will enchant readers, who will long to know more about Berenice Abbott and the dynamic people she encounters. Historical fiction enthusiasts and devout feminists will be engaged with Coleman’s strong relationship to this unapologetic woman from the first page to the last.
Reviewed by Kate-Lynn Brown
The book opens as Berenice is giving a speech at the first National Conference on Photography in 1951. We are introduced to important players in her professional life, including the men who will be her roadblocks and individuals who will inspire her. In her speech, she insists that the talents of women photographers are overlooked. The female artists are disadvantaged due to the sexism of camera companies, curators, editors and publishers. Coleman is able to perfectly capture the interiority of this moment; Berenice is an accomplished photographer, “but right now she might as well be her ten-year-old self: awkward, plain Bernice.”
The book is divided into parts, anchored by their location and year. The opening of each part features a photograph of Abbott’s, which gives readers insight into the work being discussed in the novel. We can immediately see the tension in Bernice’s relationship with her mother, especially after her stepfather attempts to rape her. Instead of looking up to her mother, Bernice finds inspiration in other female role models, such as Nelly Bly. She writes an essay about heroes: “Like Miss Bly, I will seek experiences and challenge the limitation of my sex.” These details foreshadow how Abbott will live. Coleman writes with a careful attention to how Bernice reacts to the art she sees in everyday life, even as a child.
At Ohio State University in 1918, Bernice meets Lilian Watkins, an actress who will change her life. Bernice moves to New York with Lil and her boyfriend, where they are engulfed by a world of art and eccentricity. She dabbles in a variety of arts, primarily sculpting. She understands her appreciation of art in the everyday --- “shop signs, salt shakers” --- and begins to appreciate photography after she models for Man Ray. The artists she meets are written as rich and exciting characters, so much so that readers almost forget they are real people.
Repressed sexuality is an important theme throughout the novel. Bernice has an unwavering attraction to Lil. She kisses her one evening as they are running lines before a play, and both come down with the Spanish flu. Bernice lives, but Lil does not. There is intense guilt and the shame surrounding her sexuality. Lil’s death leads to Bernice moving to Paris, where she becomes Man Ray’s assistant and ultimately finds success on her own as a photographer. It is also here where she meets Tylia, a lover who will christen Bernice under her new name, Berenice. This subtle change signifies a turning point in her life.
Berenice finds success in Paris as she takes portraits for high-profile clients like Peggy Guggenheim. Man Ray cannot handle her success. Berenice quits and decides to return to New York.
New York provides a second wave of artistic inspiration for Berenice, but she struggles financially in the midst of the Depression. Still, she continues a project that will move her for the next several years: Changing New York. The passion that moves her is obvious. Berenice falls in love --- twice --- with a man named Rod and a writer named Liz, who is her partner until Liz’s death. She experiences discrimination both for her sexuality and her gender. She takes photos for magazines and has her first show overshadowed by Salvador Dali. Alfred Stieglitz’s “Spiritual America,” an image of a castrated horse, haunts her throughout her career almost as much as Stieglitz himself.
The novel ends with Berenice taking her first flight to a conference in Aspen. Its closing does not do justice to the 50 pages before it, which are filled with large, powerful moments in which Berenice comes to terms with her sexuality, her mother, and the triumphs and failures of her career. The novel concludes as the plane takes off, implying that Berenice will also soar. It is a wrap-up that feels too tidy for a book that is so true to the complexities of life. The opening chapter, however, is more satisfying for readers after understanding the frustration Berenice has experienced in her career.
THE REALIST will enchant readers, who will long to know more about Berenice Abbott and the dynamic people she encounters. Historical fiction enthusiasts and devout feminists will be engaged with Coleman’s strong relationship to this unapologetic woman from the first page to the last.
Reviewed by Kate-Lynn Brown
March 26, 2018
A beautiful and aching love story (in fact three of them, at least!). It is sprinkled, "Forrest Gump"-style, with titbits of 20th century American history, topped with tasty extra "I never knew that!" morsels. The descriptions of Abbott's photos, and of the craft of pre-digital (indeed pre-35mm) photography are light and readable, not at all an art history tome. And it's not hagiography either: Abbott's self-absorbed and distracted nature, and her troubled relationship with her family, are laid out in a non-judgmental and readable style. The novel moves in time like a photograph album, presenting detailed, poignant and enjoyable scenes punctuated by un-narrated gaps of varying length. This style made it a lot of fun to read. Like a Netflix box set, each chapter made me want to get on to the next one. But unlike some Netflix series, the intensity and inventiveness of the story was sustained to the end.
February 18, 2019
I read The Realist for our library community read. I was pleasantly surprised and glad it was recommended because I probably wouldn't have chosen this book on my own. The Realist is about female photographer Berenice Abbott who makes a name for herself during the Depression when working women are frowned upon for taking away "men's jobs". After surviving a destitute and tragic childhood, she joined some Bohemian college friends in Greenwich Village where she was exposed to all types of artists and lifestyles. Eventually she ventured to Paris where she worked as a photographer's assistant for Mann Ray and developed her own style of photography. Berenice returned to New York at the onset of The Great Depression and captured striking photographs that contrast old New York with the new sky scrapers. The book is well written and one you won't want to put down. The book and group discussion motivated several of us to attend a museum exhibit featuring photographers of this era.
January 17, 2018
I loved this book. Impeccably researched, beautifully and sensitively written, a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned. This takes us through the early 1900's in Ohio, New York and Paris then finishes in Ohio and Maine. It's incredibly evocative of time and place. Berenice Abbott was a force to be reckoned with. Ahead of her time, bisexual and very focussed on what she loved to do. It's tragic that this will be Sarah Coleman's one and only book as she clearly had so much more to give.
February 20, 2018
A friend of mine gave this to me as a gift knowing my love of photography. I had never heard of Berenice Abbott before reading, but I was so happy to discover her story and her work. I loved this book -- it was interesting and engaging, and well-written. My only regret is that Sarah Coleman will never know how much her work was admired. She was a wonderful writer. I highly recommend!
March 4, 2018
Have just finished reading The Realist. I did not know anything about Berenice Abbott
but I now feel that I have learned a lot. It was an excellent read and Sarah had obviously
done an enormous amount of research. It is certainly a book which I would recommend.
but I now feel that I have learned a lot. It was an excellent read and Sarah had obviously
done an enormous amount of research. It is certainly a book which I would recommend.
March 20, 2018
Simply wonderful. You don't have to be interested in photography to be captivated by Berenice.
September 27, 2019
Very well written but not my favorite era. I also have trouble relating to art in depth. I did broaden my appreciation of photographic art. I appreciated the struggles of women during this era.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews