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Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet
A vividly-rendered portrait of both the rise of Impressionism and of the artist at the center of the movement, Claude and Camille is above all a love story of the highest romantic order.
In the mid-nineteenth century, a young man named Claude Monet decided that he would rather endure a difficult life painting landscapes than take over his father’s nautical supplies business in a French seaside town. Against his father’s will, and with nothing but a dream and an insatiable urge to create a new style of art that repudiated the Classical Realism of the time, he set off for Paris.
But once there he is confronted with an art world that refused to validate his style, extreme poverty, and a war that led him away from his home and friends. But there were bright spots as his deep, enduring friendships with men named Renoir, Cézanne, Pissarro, Manet—a group that together would come to be known as the Impressionists, and that supported each other through the difficult years. Even more illuminating was his lifelong love, Camille Doncieux, a beautiful, upper-class Parisian girl who threw away her privileged life to be by the side of the defiant painter and embrace the lively Bohemian life of their time.
His muse, his best friend, his passionate lover, and the mother to his two children, Camille stayed with Monet—and believed in his work—even as they lived in wretched rooms and often suffered the indignities of destitution. But Camille had her own demons—secrets that Monet could never penetrate—including one that when eventually revealed would pain him so deeply that he would never fully recover from its impact.
In the mid-nineteenth century, a young man named Claude Monet decided that he would rather endure a difficult life painting landscapes than take over his father’s nautical supplies business in a French seaside town. Against his father’s will, and with nothing but a dream and an insatiable urge to create a new style of art that repudiated the Classical Realism of the time, he set off for Paris.
But once there he is confronted with an art world that refused to validate his style, extreme poverty, and a war that led him away from his home and friends. But there were bright spots as his deep, enduring friendships with men named Renoir, Cézanne, Pissarro, Manet—a group that together would come to be known as the Impressionists, and that supported each other through the difficult years. Even more illuminating was his lifelong love, Camille Doncieux, a beautiful, upper-class Parisian girl who threw away her privileged life to be by the side of the defiant painter and embrace the lively Bohemian life of their time.
His muse, his best friend, his passionate lover, and the mother to his two children, Camille stayed with Monet—and believed in his work—even as they lived in wretched rooms and often suffered the indignities of destitution. But Camille had her own demons—secrets that Monet could never penetrate—including one that when eventually revealed would pain him so deeply that he would never fully recover from its impact.
338 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
344 people are currently reading
7697 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Cowell
12 books343 followersTHE MAN IN THE STONE COTTAGE, a novel of the Brontë sisters, is set in 1846 Yorkshire, where the three sisters - Charlotte, Anne and Emily - navigate precarious lives marked by heartbreak and struggle. Charlotte faces rejection from the man she loves, while their blind father and troubled brother add to their burdens. No one will publish their poetry or novels. Amidst this turmoil, Emily encounters a charming shepherd on her solitary walks on the moor, yet no one else has ever seen him. Several years later, Charlotte, who is now the successful author of Jane Eyre, sets out to find him. THE MAN IN THE STONE COTTAGE is a poignant exploration of sisterly bonds and the complexities of perception, asking whether what feels real to one person can truly be real to another.
My previous novel, THE BOY IN THE RAIN, set in Edwardian England 1903, is a love story between two men, a shy young artist and a rising socialist speaker, as they struggle to build a life together against personal obstacles and the dangers of prosecution under the gross indecency laws. CLAUDE & CAMILLE: A NOVEL OF CLAUDE MONET is the story of Monet in his 20s and 30s as he struggles to sell his work and manage his love for the beautiful, elusive Camille who would die young and forever remain his muse.
My other novels MARRYING MOZART, THE PLAYERS, THE PHYSICIAN OF LONDON AND NICHOLAS COOKE all continue to find readers. They were translated into several languages and MARRYING MOZART was turned into an opera.
I was born in New York City and have lived in the same apartment for 50 years. My heart is half in England/Europe where I have family and consider myself an emotional citizen there.
Please do visit my website StephanieCowell.com
My previous novel, THE BOY IN THE RAIN, set in Edwardian England 1903, is a love story between two men, a shy young artist and a rising socialist speaker, as they struggle to build a life together against personal obstacles and the dangers of prosecution under the gross indecency laws. CLAUDE & CAMILLE: A NOVEL OF CLAUDE MONET is the story of Monet in his 20s and 30s as he struggles to sell his work and manage his love for the beautiful, elusive Camille who would die young and forever remain his muse.
My other novels MARRYING MOZART, THE PLAYERS, THE PHYSICIAN OF LONDON AND NICHOLAS COOKE all continue to find readers. They were translated into several languages and MARRYING MOZART was turned into an opera.
I was born in New York City and have lived in the same apartment for 50 years. My heart is half in England/Europe where I have family and consider myself an emotional citizen there.
Please do visit my website StephanieCowell.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 651 reviews
April 1, 2018
Having previously read Emile Zola’s The Masterpiece (L'Oeuvre), which gave me some idea of the Parisian art scene and the lives of aspiring impressionist painters of mid 19th century France, I found this dramatized life story of Claude Monet familiar and believable. I don’t know much about the art of painting, but Monet’s eight water lilies murals exhibited at the Musee de L’Orangerie had strummed a heartstring in me, as in many others. Cowell saw an interesting link between Monet’s love for Camille Doncieux and his obsession with the painting of water lilies in his late life, and spun an evocative yarn out of it.
In general it is a story of romantic love between a struggling artist (Claude Monet) and a beautiful girl from a well-heeled background (Camille Doncieux), with all the twists and turns related to the depressing fight against poverty and social prejudice, and to breach of loyalty between lovers and friends. Sprinkled throughout the novel are elegant descriptions of countryside landscapes and seascapes in various parts of France, which become Monet’s and his painter friends’ painting targets. Towards the last fifth of the novel, the drama heightens as tension builds up in the love triangle between Monet, his wife Camille and his lover Alice (wife of his patron).
Overall, it is a well-constructed romance with trimmings of the art scene in the background, if some elements of the story lean on the make-believe side. Personally I feel that the deliberate and frequent insertion of short French phrases in the dialogues doesn’t add any more French flavor to them – it is a touch unnatural and awkward.
I’m giving this novel 3.4 stars, rounded down.
August 21, 2018
Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a French painter and founder of a new movement called Impressionism derived from the title of his painting Impression, which was exhibited in 1874 in the first of the independent exhibitions mounted by Monet and his associates.
This story starts with him at the age of 17. He is failing at school and getting estranged from his father.
What makes sense to him at this point is to take an older painter’s offer of Eugene Boudin and study painting with him. Hid dream of being caricaturist has to be put on hold.
The same summer his mother passes away and he throws himself at painting with Boudin for the next three years.
He continues his art schooling in Paris. There, he meets Renoir, Pissarro, Cezanne, and Edouard Manet. The last one “was the only one of them who had already gained some public recognition.”
When he needs to clear his head, he goes for a walk by the River Seine. One day, while on his walk he decides to enter a bookshop. There he sees a young woman with red hair, the one he saw at a train station four years earlier. He asks her to model for his new painting of picnickers.
Camille becomes his love and his greatest muse.
Once his painting of The Woman in the Green Dress becomes success, his father admits “that perhaps he had been wrong to stand against his gifted son.”
After many struggles, Monet and his artist friends put an exhibit, after which they become recognized as Impressionists. At last, a name was born, Impressionism, to their struggles to be recognized.
The book skillfully-depicts painters’ struggle to achieve recognition as most of them during their time were not recognized. It also, beautifully presents love of hardship and friendship lasting through good and bad times with the love of his life as well as his friends.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
This story starts with him at the age of 17. He is failing at school and getting estranged from his father.
What makes sense to him at this point is to take an older painter’s offer of Eugene Boudin and study painting with him. Hid dream of being caricaturist has to be put on hold.
The same summer his mother passes away and he throws himself at painting with Boudin for the next three years.
He continues his art schooling in Paris. There, he meets Renoir, Pissarro, Cezanne, and Edouard Manet. The last one “was the only one of them who had already gained some public recognition.”
When he needs to clear his head, he goes for a walk by the River Seine. One day, while on his walk he decides to enter a bookshop. There he sees a young woman with red hair, the one he saw at a train station four years earlier. He asks her to model for his new painting of picnickers.
Camille becomes his love and his greatest muse.
Once his painting of The Woman in the Green Dress becomes success, his father admits “that perhaps he had been wrong to stand against his gifted son.”
After many struggles, Monet and his artist friends put an exhibit, after which they become recognized as Impressionists. At last, a name was born, Impressionism, to their struggles to be recognized.
The book skillfully-depicts painters’ struggle to achieve recognition as most of them during their time were not recognized. It also, beautifully presents love of hardship and friendship lasting through good and bad times with the love of his life as well as his friends.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
June 18, 2010
So, clearly I am in the minority here since I only gave this book 2 stars. I tried to put my finger on exactly what didn’t work for me in this story, especially compared to the book I just finished, Girl in Translation (which was terrific). What I ultimately came up with is that, unlike most of the other reviewers, I didn’t feel much emotional connection in this story. So many events were told to the reader in a dry, factual way that it robbed the events of any sense of immediacy or emotion. There was very little arc or personal growth in any of the characters – they seemed to be the same exact people doing the same exact things in the exact same way throughout the story. There were also a lot of awkward transitions, which pulled me out of the story. The first time it happened was in a scene in which Camille expresses an interest in going to the theater. Monet procures tickets for an upcoming show and in the next sentence, they are watching the show. I had to flip pages back and forth because it felt like I had accidentally skipped one.
I didn't hate the book, but I didn't like it either. Towards the end, I skimmed pages just to finish it (never a good sign). I read it so quickly only because I had some extra time to read this week and because I was anxious to start the next book on my to-read list. I wish I had liked this story more. It had a great premise but just felt very flat and dull to me.
I didn't hate the book, but I didn't like it either. Towards the end, I skimmed pages just to finish it (never a good sign). I read it so quickly only because I had some extra time to read this week and because I was anxious to start the next book on my to-read list. I wish I had liked this story more. It had a great premise but just felt very flat and dull to me.
June 12, 2022
On the first page of the Prologue, which is dated July 1908, is "Why do you write to me after all these years, Monet? I still hold you responsible for the death of my sister, Camille. There can be no communication between us." Then Monet goes into a part of his studio he hasn't visited recently and gazes at Camille, painting after painting of her. Among his thoughts is "I loved you so. ... These gardens at Giverny are for you, but I'm old and you're forever young and will never see them."
Some might consider this novel a romance. I thought, instead, it is a love story. Claude Monet had not one, but two, great loves in his life: painting and Camille. He was most definitely the one great love in her life. But he couldn't live without painting and there were times when Camille wondered if he even truly loved her. As such this read is almost an emotional roller coaster.
I am drawn to historical fiction, but especially to biographical fiction. Perhaps I'd be drawn to biographies themselves, but my encounters of those have been academic. Fiction allows more latitude and is better able to let the reader inside the person, rather than our merely learning his/her accomplishments. For some reason I feel like witholding a star on this, but it is very good and I might be stingy today. I will definitely be looking at/for some of her other titles.
Some might consider this novel a romance. I thought, instead, it is a love story. Claude Monet had not one, but two, great loves in his life: painting and Camille. He was most definitely the one great love in her life. But he couldn't live without painting and there were times when Camille wondered if he even truly loved her. As such this read is almost an emotional roller coaster.
I am drawn to historical fiction, but especially to biographical fiction. Perhaps I'd be drawn to biographies themselves, but my encounters of those have been academic. Fiction allows more latitude and is better able to let the reader inside the person, rather than our merely learning his/her accomplishments. For some reason I feel like witholding a star on this, but it is very good and I might be stingy today. I will definitely be looking at/for some of her other titles.
September 28, 2010
NO SPOILERS
Finished: This book has the momentum of a huge wave. It builds slowly but by the end it crashes down on the shore with a tremendous thunder that shakes you. I did not think the beginning very well prtrayed the relationship between Claude and Camille, but as you follow the story an understnading of their life, their troubles, their sorrows and their advances become real. At the end the tragedy of their life comes crashing down on you. At the beginning I was not entralled by the author's prose, but by the end I felt I had learned so very much about Claude and Camille, about their life and about who they were inside the skin and bones. I had no idea this this was the story of the person who had created the water lilies that I love so much. Anybody who is curious to know why Monet was almost obsessed with painting water lilies should read this book. The book offers a possible answer. The historical events of the times are also woven into the story. You get history - the Prussian French War of 1870, the growth of the Impressionist movement - an intimate knowledge of the lives and struggles of these artists and an understanding of Claude and Camille's love and life. If you are crazy about Monet's water lilies then you must read this book. I am prettyy darned sure you will be surprised at what you find out. There is an author's note at the end, but nevertheless I do end up with some unanswered questions.... of which one is REALLY bothering me! Due to that question not being answered I am giving this book three rather than four stars. There should have been pictures in the book! Although I loved the artists' quotes beginning each chapter, they should have been intertwined into the story. Thank you Laura for sending the book to me. I am very glad I read it!!! Every time I look at one of Monet's paintings I wil appreciate it even more than I had before.
OK, I have only just begun: I have only read 25 pages. It is easy reading. Each chapter is dated. You SEE what Monet sees as he looks out at the Normandy landscapes after quickly discarding caricatures, the art form so popular in Paris of the 1860s. There are family disputes, and maybe he will be inducted into the French army stationed in Algiers. Wow, what timing for me! I just finished The Lovers of Algeria: A Novel. I don't know, maybe he will not go there, but his father and aunt have no intention of paying to avoid this. And Monet has no intention of working in his fathers nautical shop. Ha, as usual, a little blackmail is often common in such happy families. Or shall we politely call it "methods of persuasion"?! Studying in Paris, he has already met the other young painters of the day - Renoir, Cezanne, Manet and Pissaro too. Chapters begin with delightful quotes of these artists. Renoir has said: "When I've painted a woman's bottom so that I want to touch it, then the painting is finished." (page 19)
I really do want to read this book! I have received it as a passport book from Laura. After reading it , I will send it to Virginie. Thank you Laura!!!
Finished: This book has the momentum of a huge wave. It builds slowly but by the end it crashes down on the shore with a tremendous thunder that shakes you. I did not think the beginning very well prtrayed the relationship between Claude and Camille, but as you follow the story an understnading of their life, their troubles, their sorrows and their advances become real. At the end the tragedy of their life comes crashing down on you. At the beginning I was not entralled by the author's prose, but by the end I felt I had learned so very much about Claude and Camille, about their life and about who they were inside the skin and bones. I had no idea this this was the story of the person who had created the water lilies that I love so much. Anybody who is curious to know why Monet was almost obsessed with painting water lilies should read this book. The book offers a possible answer. The historical events of the times are also woven into the story. You get history - the Prussian French War of 1870, the growth of the Impressionist movement - an intimate knowledge of the lives and struggles of these artists and an understanding of Claude and Camille's love and life. If you are crazy about Monet's water lilies then you must read this book. I am prettyy darned sure you will be surprised at what you find out. There is an author's note at the end, but nevertheless I do end up with some unanswered questions.... of which one is REALLY bothering me! Due to that question not being answered I am giving this book three rather than four stars. There should have been pictures in the book! Although I loved the artists' quotes beginning each chapter, they should have been intertwined into the story. Thank you Laura for sending the book to me. I am very glad I read it!!! Every time I look at one of Monet's paintings I wil appreciate it even more than I had before.
OK, I have only just begun: I have only read 25 pages. It is easy reading. Each chapter is dated. You SEE what Monet sees as he looks out at the Normandy landscapes after quickly discarding caricatures, the art form so popular in Paris of the 1860s. There are family disputes, and maybe he will be inducted into the French army stationed in Algiers. Wow, what timing for me! I just finished The Lovers of Algeria: A Novel. I don't know, maybe he will not go there, but his father and aunt have no intention of paying to avoid this. And Monet has no intention of working in his fathers nautical shop. Ha, as usual, a little blackmail is often common in such happy families. Or shall we politely call it "methods of persuasion"?! Studying in Paris, he has already met the other young painters of the day - Renoir, Cezanne, Manet and Pissaro too. Chapters begin with delightful quotes of these artists. Renoir has said: "When I've painted a woman's bottom so that I want to touch it, then the painting is finished." (page 19)
I really do want to read this book! I have received it as a passport book from Laura. After reading it , I will send it to Virginie. Thank you Laura!!!
August 6, 2019
Claude and Camille
Painting and loving mingle together in Stephanie Cowell’s tale of the artist Claude Monet and his model Camille Doncieux. From the time Monet realizes that he is a painter and pursuing all that means is his primary purpose, it is a mere matter of time before he is presented with his other primary purpose – loving this compelling woman. The pages that follow this explosion of how!-and-why!-and-let’s! pull a reader through this couple's obstacle-laden love story. It is sweet and gentle and frustrating for the Reading Public viewing all with perfect hindsight. If only all about them had known what we know. . .they would have been treated with all the benefits and burdens of fame and celebrity. T'would be a high price but when one is starving, prone to illness and possessed of few resources for day-to-day living, probably bearable if dreams could come true before death rather than after.
The writing is lovely and, as a love story, is restrained and well-told. Other family members and artists of their circle are also mentioned and placed in context. I will be looking for books about them to fill in my knowledge gaps. A quick primer on Monet’s style and motivation, preference for en plein air (out of doors), and reception by the public is painlessly provided.
My judgment bone was only mildly jarred as I read. Both Camille and Claude’s passion was convincing, but it was disconcerting how easily each turned to others during absences. . . .but maybe that is not so different than lovers in other generations, eh?
Ah well. 4 stars. If you are arty, especially enjoying the Impressionists, this is a great book. Warning: reading this, you may find are apt to spend time looking at Monet’s beautiful work online for a long time. . . . .and ponder booking tickets for France. . . .
Painting and loving mingle together in Stephanie Cowell’s tale of the artist Claude Monet and his model Camille Doncieux. From the time Monet realizes that he is a painter and pursuing all that means is his primary purpose, it is a mere matter of time before he is presented with his other primary purpose – loving this compelling woman. The pages that follow this explosion of how!-and-why!-and-let’s! pull a reader through this couple's obstacle-laden love story. It is sweet and gentle and frustrating for the Reading Public viewing all with perfect hindsight. If only all about them had known what we know. . .they would have been treated with all the benefits and burdens of fame and celebrity. T'would be a high price but when one is starving, prone to illness and possessed of few resources for day-to-day living, probably bearable if dreams could come true before death rather than after.
The writing is lovely and, as a love story, is restrained and well-told. Other family members and artists of their circle are also mentioned and placed in context. I will be looking for books about them to fill in my knowledge gaps. A quick primer on Monet’s style and motivation, preference for en plein air (out of doors), and reception by the public is painlessly provided.
My judgment bone was only mildly jarred as I read. Both Camille and Claude’s passion was convincing, but it was disconcerting how easily each turned to others during absences. . . .but maybe that is not so different than lovers in other generations, eh?
Ah well. 4 stars. If you are arty, especially enjoying the Impressionists, this is a great book. Warning: reading this, you may find are apt to spend time looking at Monet’s beautiful work online for a long time. . . . .and ponder booking tickets for France. . . .
March 19, 2012
What a waste of a perfectly fantastic topic! It was too, too 21st. century with the detailed sexual events, overly angst-ridden uncertainties, and the name-dropping (sort of like "so Pissaro passed the wine to Renoir, while Manet sipped, and Cezanne asked for more," if you can get my drift). I mean, come on! Why bother! It is called a novel in the sub-title, so don't confuse it with fictional biography, a stupid term. The attempt at using the French phrases is the worst I have ever seen, with some grammatical errors, and the author had assistance in this, it is claimed. From whom? A high school first year student, perhaps? And one of the only words never translated was the omni-present expletive, "merde," which I doubt turn-of-the 19th.-20th. century French would use, so much like 20th.-21st. century Americans. Of course artists suffer for their art, but they do it in terms of their time in history and the setting as to time is not convincing.
Why did I bother? I belong to a book club which is reading this, and I have to present it. What will I do? Probably not say all of the above and talk about the great things about Monet and Giverney.
In conclusion, you could substitute any famous couple's names, locations, dates, and this story would be the same, and not just belong to the Monets. I wanted more than that.
Why did I bother? I belong to a book club which is reading this, and I have to present it. What will I do? Probably not say all of the above and talk about the great things about Monet and Giverney.
In conclusion, you could substitute any famous couple's names, locations, dates, and this story would be the same, and not just belong to the Monets. I wanted more than that.
May 14, 2011
I picked up this book at the airport bookshop on my way to France. I thought it would put me in a French frame of mind, but instead I found it as grating as the flight attendant's poorly-pronounced French.
Ms. Cowell may have visited Paris and Monet's Home in Giverny as part of her "research," but her knowledge of the language, culture, and artistic milieu of late 19th-century Paris is so superficial that she should have been embarrassed to tackle the subject. I enjoy historical fiction and particularly the story-of-the-artist-and-his-subject, but it requires moe than getting the chronology correct. Cowell totally fails to capture a sense of person, time, and place, and that's pretty important when dealing with a figure as well know as Monet.
My shame is that I didn't leave the book on the plane after I had read the first 100 pages. Instead, I finished it, hoping that it would get better. It didn't.
Ms. Cowell may have visited Paris and Monet's Home in Giverny as part of her "research," but her knowledge of the language, culture, and artistic milieu of late 19th-century Paris is so superficial that she should have been embarrassed to tackle the subject. I enjoy historical fiction and particularly the story-of-the-artist-and-his-subject, but it requires moe than getting the chronology correct. Cowell totally fails to capture a sense of person, time, and place, and that's pretty important when dealing with a figure as well know as Monet.
My shame is that I didn't leave the book on the plane after I had read the first 100 pages. Instead, I finished it, hoping that it would get better. It didn't.
June 16, 2019
A true-to-the- real-story fictionalization of the life of Claude Monet from age 17 - 39, the years when he met, fell in love with, and was married to Camille Doncieux, until her death of cancer. It is also an unflattering portrait of the artist as a young man, long before he reached immortal fame with his water lilies, when he struggled to feed a young family, and struggled to get the world to recognize his form of painting that went against the grain of the establishment at the time.
The chapters are broken out in annual or biennial chunks, chronicling the significant events that took place in those time periods, and hence the novel has an episodic feel rather than a dramatic arc. Interspersed between the chapters at critical points are the reflections of an older Monet (circa 1909, at the age of 69) reflecting on his life with Camille and trying to come to terms with the loose ends left there. The writing is gentle, like the colours of Monet’s palette, even though the lives of artists of the nineteenth century were anything but gentle, despite many of them, Monet included, coming from middle class families and having the means of running back home to live with parents or of asking for family loans to tide them over the rougher patches.
After an aborted military service in North Africa, due to illness, Monet, declines his father’s offer to take over the family’s ship chandler business in Le Havre and pursues his education in art in Paris. In the City of Light, he meets other budding artists—Manet, Cezanne, Pissaro, Renoir, Degas and Bazile—to form a breakout art form from the traditional, soon to be known as Impressionism, consisting of visible brushstrokes, changing colours, and focused on scenes of modern life in the countryside. The young painters rent a studio and live to paint, often running out of rent money and being evicted, only to return after some paintings sell or a relative offers a handout. Camille and her sister, Annette, meet the young painters when they pose as models, but Claude claims he has had his eye on Camille ever since he saw her at a railway station many years earlier, and that she had become his invisible muse. In fact, he paints her over and over again throughout their life together, and his painting, “Woman in the Green Dress,” which Camille modeled, gets him into the official Paris Salon and on the path to eventual fame.
Claude and Camille’s life together is constantly plagued with the lack of money. While he paints incessantly in all weather, she tries hard to keep the home fires burning. Her attempts at becoming an artist herself, first an actress, then a novelist, all end up half-baked as the family constantly has to move residence, either due to the lack of money or to supports Claude’s career. Claude is the consummate artist, willing to destroy his work that does not match his expectations, emotional to the point of suicide when things start falling apart. And yet, the passion between the couple is palpable and triumphs over illness, hunger, third-party affairs, and artistic disappointments. The Franco-Prussian war interrupts the lives of the young artists, and many are recruited to fight. Monet flees with his family to England to sit out the war, and to paint another series of outdoor scenes that will eventually add to his oeuvre. The war ends with some of the Impressionists losing their lives and seeing their promising careers cut short. Monet is left bereft when his close friend Frederic Bazile falls victim, leaving a schism in their friendship that involves Camille, one that is never to be repaired.
In the last years of Camille’s life, the wealthy textile family Hoechede enter the scene, after Claude is commissioned to paint wall panels in that family’s country mansion. A cruel set of events lead to the bankruptcy and impoverishment of that family and in them taking up residence with the Monets who have finally started making some money. The tensions and the happiness that this combined living arrangement create leads to some interesting developments for both families. One has only to look up Wikipedia to see how it ended, so I will not leave any spoilers here.
I found this book informative on the lives of artists of the nineteenth century, and also re-assuring in that it confirms my view that every new art form has had to struggle against fierce opposition to gain recognition from a hidebound establishment.
As for Monet, I believe he withstood the pressure of the Paris Salon to become the founder of Impressionism against stunning odds, but wouldn’t have made it if not for the love of Camille, who retreated unsung into a footnote of history. I’m glad this book was written to restore her due place in the Monet legend.
The chapters are broken out in annual or biennial chunks, chronicling the significant events that took place in those time periods, and hence the novel has an episodic feel rather than a dramatic arc. Interspersed between the chapters at critical points are the reflections of an older Monet (circa 1909, at the age of 69) reflecting on his life with Camille and trying to come to terms with the loose ends left there. The writing is gentle, like the colours of Monet’s palette, even though the lives of artists of the nineteenth century were anything but gentle, despite many of them, Monet included, coming from middle class families and having the means of running back home to live with parents or of asking for family loans to tide them over the rougher patches.
After an aborted military service in North Africa, due to illness, Monet, declines his father’s offer to take over the family’s ship chandler business in Le Havre and pursues his education in art in Paris. In the City of Light, he meets other budding artists—Manet, Cezanne, Pissaro, Renoir, Degas and Bazile—to form a breakout art form from the traditional, soon to be known as Impressionism, consisting of visible brushstrokes, changing colours, and focused on scenes of modern life in the countryside. The young painters rent a studio and live to paint, often running out of rent money and being evicted, only to return after some paintings sell or a relative offers a handout. Camille and her sister, Annette, meet the young painters when they pose as models, but Claude claims he has had his eye on Camille ever since he saw her at a railway station many years earlier, and that she had become his invisible muse. In fact, he paints her over and over again throughout their life together, and his painting, “Woman in the Green Dress,” which Camille modeled, gets him into the official Paris Salon and on the path to eventual fame.
Claude and Camille’s life together is constantly plagued with the lack of money. While he paints incessantly in all weather, she tries hard to keep the home fires burning. Her attempts at becoming an artist herself, first an actress, then a novelist, all end up half-baked as the family constantly has to move residence, either due to the lack of money or to supports Claude’s career. Claude is the consummate artist, willing to destroy his work that does not match his expectations, emotional to the point of suicide when things start falling apart. And yet, the passion between the couple is palpable and triumphs over illness, hunger, third-party affairs, and artistic disappointments. The Franco-Prussian war interrupts the lives of the young artists, and many are recruited to fight. Monet flees with his family to England to sit out the war, and to paint another series of outdoor scenes that will eventually add to his oeuvre. The war ends with some of the Impressionists losing their lives and seeing their promising careers cut short. Monet is left bereft when his close friend Frederic Bazile falls victim, leaving a schism in their friendship that involves Camille, one that is never to be repaired.
In the last years of Camille’s life, the wealthy textile family Hoechede enter the scene, after Claude is commissioned to paint wall panels in that family’s country mansion. A cruel set of events lead to the bankruptcy and impoverishment of that family and in them taking up residence with the Monets who have finally started making some money. The tensions and the happiness that this combined living arrangement create leads to some interesting developments for both families. One has only to look up Wikipedia to see how it ended, so I will not leave any spoilers here.
I found this book informative on the lives of artists of the nineteenth century, and also re-assuring in that it confirms my view that every new art form has had to struggle against fierce opposition to gain recognition from a hidebound establishment.
As for Monet, I believe he withstood the pressure of the Paris Salon to become the founder of Impressionism against stunning odds, but wouldn’t have made it if not for the love of Camille, who retreated unsung into a footnote of history. I’m glad this book was written to restore her due place in the Monet legend.
January 21, 2016
The subtitle is all the synopsis you need: A Novel of Monet. Cowell gives us a fictionalized look at the early to middle years of Monet’s career, when he met, wooed and married Camille Doncieux … and painted her in many poses and settings.
The novel is told in two time frames, each section being introduced by an early 20th-century Monet, writing from his Givenchy home circa 1908, and then followed by the late 19th-century time period evoked in his memory, starting in 1857 and ending in 1879. The reader learns of his early struggles, his developing relationship with Camille, and with the other young painters who formed the Impressionists movement – Pissarro, Renoir, Degas, Bazille, et al.
Cowell does a good job of giving the reader a sense of the time and place, as well as the enthusiasm of youth, the passion of working toward one’s dream, the camaraderie of friends, and the safety of a steadfast love. Not to say that all was easy for Claude and Camille. It wasn’t. Their families didn’t approve, their friends were skeptical, their precarious finances made it almost impossible for them to be together for long stretches of time. But Camille’s devotion to Monet did not waiver.
All in all, it’s a good work of historical fiction, with a true-life romance at its core.
At the end of the book, the author includes some historical notes in which she outlines what is fact, and what is fiction in the novel. She also includes a list of the paintings mentioned in the book, and where the works are currently held.
The novel is told in two time frames, each section being introduced by an early 20th-century Monet, writing from his Givenchy home circa 1908, and then followed by the late 19th-century time period evoked in his memory, starting in 1857 and ending in 1879. The reader learns of his early struggles, his developing relationship with Camille, and with the other young painters who formed the Impressionists movement – Pissarro, Renoir, Degas, Bazille, et al.
Cowell does a good job of giving the reader a sense of the time and place, as well as the enthusiasm of youth, the passion of working toward one’s dream, the camaraderie of friends, and the safety of a steadfast love. Not to say that all was easy for Claude and Camille. It wasn’t. Their families didn’t approve, their friends were skeptical, their precarious finances made it almost impossible for them to be together for long stretches of time. But Camille’s devotion to Monet did not waiver.
All in all, it’s a good work of historical fiction, with a true-life romance at its core.
At the end of the book, the author includes some historical notes in which she outlines what is fact, and what is fiction in the novel. She also includes a list of the paintings mentioned in the book, and where the works are currently held.
August 1, 2016
Beautifully evocative novel about Claude Monet and the woman who loved him despite the opposition of her bourgeois family and its plans to marry her off to a wealthy older man. The seas of Le Havre, the community of young painters that became known as Impressionists, the society of late 19th-century Paris, and the gardens of Givenchy all come richly alive in this emotionally compelling story. The sense of impending tragedy created by the opening pulls the reader along as Camille sticks with Monet through broken promises and poverty and a certain intense self-absorption that would have most of my heroines smacking him upside the head, as the saying goes. You will smell the sea and glory in the water lilies even as you grieve for Camille's lost opportunities.
March 1, 2019
After reading Claude & Camille - A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell, I've decided Monet was a detestable fellow and a sponge on all who knew him. There, I've said it!
Reading a fictionalised account of the life of a favourite artist is a risk and unfortunately it didn't pay off for me this time. I will continue to admire Monet's artwork but this insight into the man revealed an unlikeable artist who repeatedly made decisions that infuriated me.
Of course I knew he and his first wife Camille lived in poverty, but I didn't realise how proud he was, how he was constantly in denial about his mounting debts and often ran away to escape them. During periods of greatest financial need, he was often too upset or worried to paint; his only source of income.
The frequent mention of impressionist artists was to be expected and Renoir, Bazille, Sisley, Degas, Cezanne and Pissarro all feature in Monet's life.
While I didn't like Claude Monet and therefore wasn't terribly interested in his life, this is not a reflection of the author's writing. Stephanie Cowell has done a great job bringing Monet's story to life and her detailed research shines through.
Reading a fictionalised account of the life of a favourite artist is a risk and unfortunately it didn't pay off for me this time. I will continue to admire Monet's artwork but this insight into the man revealed an unlikeable artist who repeatedly made decisions that infuriated me.
Of course I knew he and his first wife Camille lived in poverty, but I didn't realise how proud he was, how he was constantly in denial about his mounting debts and often ran away to escape them. During periods of greatest financial need, he was often too upset or worried to paint; his only source of income.
The frequent mention of impressionist artists was to be expected and Renoir, Bazille, Sisley, Degas, Cezanne and Pissarro all feature in Monet's life.
While I didn't like Claude Monet and therefore wasn't terribly interested in his life, this is not a reflection of the author's writing. Stephanie Cowell has done a great job bringing Monet's story to life and her detailed research shines through.
September 7, 2016
"Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love"- Claude Monet
Love is the cornerstone of the plot-the love between Claude and Camille, of course, but also between Claude and his family, Claude and Alice, and most movingly between Claude and the impressive assembly of what is to be known as the Impressionists: Cezanne, Bazille, Pisarro, Renoir. The way they support each other in times of distress brought tears to my eyes, reminding me how fortunate I am in my own group of sisters, the GFB. The artists face constant pressure of failure, doubts of talent and worth, and bitterness that what they've spent their time and money on is futile. Monet, however, is one of the few fortunate enough to have found a dealer to sell his paintings, but it took escaping his country as a refugee to London to spur his career. Previously he was told no one wanted to look at his "daubs of color". He finds inspiration early on by meeting Camille, a proper young lady who flees her well to do family to become his muse. Making love becomes a way of life for them (sleep, paint, sex), the only way Monet seems comfortable expressing his feelings for a large part of the book. The couple have a comrade and patron in Bazille, and the impact this talented man has on the couple is exacting. My heart skipped a beat at his exit from the story, which leads to a major argument between the eponymous couple: does he really want a family? does she really want him to paint? His constant lack of funds is a sure sign of his obsession and he is stubborn, always running when frustrated or in pain careless of how his actions affect other people. But Camille pulls Monet's heartstrings time and again.
The book is separated in several parts centered around Monet's water lilies, 3 of which are in the top 5 of his highest selling paintings. They were painted toward the end of his life from his own garden behind the house where he lived with Alice and the children. Throughout the book the artists are often called by their last names, which is how we today know them. But it makes me wonder...was Renoir Auguste or was he Renoir to his friends? Also did it take the war with the Prussians for the art world to finally accept Impressionism? "Will people see what we have been trying to show them in our paintings for so long-the ordinary beauty of our country? Did we have to nearly lose it to appreciate it?"
The book is riddled with a couple of French curse words, which I found amusing. I'm sure that's exactly how they all would have spoken. They were salt of the earth, passionate, supportive help meets in love with life and beauty.
Love is the cornerstone of the plot-the love between Claude and Camille, of course, but also between Claude and his family, Claude and Alice, and most movingly between Claude and the impressive assembly of what is to be known as the Impressionists: Cezanne, Bazille, Pisarro, Renoir. The way they support each other in times of distress brought tears to my eyes, reminding me how fortunate I am in my own group of sisters, the GFB. The artists face constant pressure of failure, doubts of talent and worth, and bitterness that what they've spent their time and money on is futile. Monet, however, is one of the few fortunate enough to have found a dealer to sell his paintings, but it took escaping his country as a refugee to London to spur his career. Previously he was told no one wanted to look at his "daubs of color". He finds inspiration early on by meeting Camille, a proper young lady who flees her well to do family to become his muse. Making love becomes a way of life for them (sleep, paint, sex), the only way Monet seems comfortable expressing his feelings for a large part of the book. The couple have a comrade and patron in Bazille, and the impact this talented man has on the couple is exacting. My heart skipped a beat at his exit from the story, which leads to a major argument between the eponymous couple: does he really want a family? does she really want him to paint? His constant lack of funds is a sure sign of his obsession and he is stubborn, always running when frustrated or in pain careless of how his actions affect other people. But Camille pulls Monet's heartstrings time and again.
The book is separated in several parts centered around Monet's water lilies, 3 of which are in the top 5 of his highest selling paintings. They were painted toward the end of his life from his own garden behind the house where he lived with Alice and the children. Throughout the book the artists are often called by their last names, which is how we today know them. But it makes me wonder...was Renoir Auguste or was he Renoir to his friends? Also did it take the war with the Prussians for the art world to finally accept Impressionism? "Will people see what we have been trying to show them in our paintings for so long-the ordinary beauty of our country? Did we have to nearly lose it to appreciate it?"
The book is riddled with a couple of French curse words, which I found amusing. I'm sure that's exactly how they all would have spoken. They were salt of the earth, passionate, supportive help meets in love with life and beauty.
June 9, 2019
This book was better at the end than at the beginning. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I found the writing to be disjointed and uneven, particularly through the first half. I still cried at the times, and I learned some things. The story was tragic and shows just how flawed humans are even when they try their best to live a good life. Yet despite their mutual transgressions, Claude and Camille loved each other. It was enjoyable enough to be worth my time to finish, and it inspired me to get online and study some of Monet’s and other impressionists’ work again.
August 20, 2013
To read this gem of a novel is like entering an Impressionist painting and becoming immersed in its vibrant colors, glistening hilights, and hidden shadows. As a love story, it traces the arc of Claude Monet's life-long passion for Camille Doncieux, the woman who was his sweetheart, his muse, the mother of his two children, and, later, his wife.
But Claude and Camille also captures the love of art that drives artists to pawn their few possessions for tubes of paint, borrow repeatedly from friends and relatives to stave off creditors, suffer repeated evictions from lodgings, stay outside all day in freezing temperatures in order to capture the play of light on waves or snow covered fields.
In his early painting days, Claude and his friend Fédéric Bazille share a studio in Paris that quickly becomes the hub of activity for several artist friends, among them, Renoir, Pissarro, Cezanne, Degas. All the young painters are filled with visions of a new way of painting. The future seems promising, despite the fact that most of them are in debt. Almost all of them are artists against family wishes: Claude's father wants him to take over his nautical supplies shop in Le Havre. Bazille's family wants him to become a doctor.
Claude first sees Camille in a train station in Paris. Arrested by her beauty, he makes a quick sketch of her before she vanishes. Then he comes across her by accident in her uncle's bookshop four years later. It seems destiny. Accepting his invitation to pose for a painting, Camille brings her sister to Fontainebleau as a chaperone. Later, in Paris, Camille poses again for Claude, and the portrait is accepted by the Salon in the Palais de l'Industrie. When he takes her to see the exhibit, convent-educated Camille decides she's in love with him and leaves her family and her fiancé to become Claude's lover and the darling of his circle of friends.
But Camille—Minou to friends and family—is a bundle of mysteries and contradictions: She wants to go on stage. She wants to write a novel. She wants to have lots of children. She has moods. A devoted muse and passionate lover, Camille's life centers around Claude. Or does it? Her own mother whispers to Claude in one scene, "There are things you don't yet understand about our Minou . . ."
This book was so good, I read it twice. The author's rendering of the Impressionists' world reflects her thorough research. Characters and settings come alive. The lives that unfold are entirely believable. This is a must read for history lovers, art lovers and anyone who just likes a good story.
But Claude and Camille also captures the love of art that drives artists to pawn their few possessions for tubes of paint, borrow repeatedly from friends and relatives to stave off creditors, suffer repeated evictions from lodgings, stay outside all day in freezing temperatures in order to capture the play of light on waves or snow covered fields.
In his early painting days, Claude and his friend Fédéric Bazille share a studio in Paris that quickly becomes the hub of activity for several artist friends, among them, Renoir, Pissarro, Cezanne, Degas. All the young painters are filled with visions of a new way of painting. The future seems promising, despite the fact that most of them are in debt. Almost all of them are artists against family wishes: Claude's father wants him to take over his nautical supplies shop in Le Havre. Bazille's family wants him to become a doctor.
Claude first sees Camille in a train station in Paris. Arrested by her beauty, he makes a quick sketch of her before she vanishes. Then he comes across her by accident in her uncle's bookshop four years later. It seems destiny. Accepting his invitation to pose for a painting, Camille brings her sister to Fontainebleau as a chaperone. Later, in Paris, Camille poses again for Claude, and the portrait is accepted by the Salon in the Palais de l'Industrie. When he takes her to see the exhibit, convent-educated Camille decides she's in love with him and leaves her family and her fiancé to become Claude's lover and the darling of his circle of friends.
But Camille—Minou to friends and family—is a bundle of mysteries and contradictions: She wants to go on stage. She wants to write a novel. She wants to have lots of children. She has moods. A devoted muse and passionate lover, Camille's life centers around Claude. Or does it? Her own mother whispers to Claude in one scene, "There are things you don't yet understand about our Minou . . ."
This book was so good, I read it twice. The author's rendering of the Impressionists' world reflects her thorough research. Characters and settings come alive. The lives that unfold are entirely believable. This is a must read for history lovers, art lovers and anyone who just likes a good story.
June 24, 2016
Una bella biografia romanzata, narrata in modo sobrio ma coinvolgente. La storia di un ragazzo che inseguiva un sogno, un ideale d'arte innovativo frutto delle sue emozioni, della sua inquietudine, della sua interiorità, e per il quale lascerà senza rammarico il suo borgo nativo e la famiglia per fare un salto nel buio guidato solo dalla sua grande passione, da un'ossessione, da un richiamo che sarà più forte di tutto. Una vita bohémien in una Parigi in grande fermento insieme ad un gruppo di artisti con i quali dividerà ogni cosa: difficoltà, umiliazioni, fame, debiti, donne, speranze e disillusioni ma, sopratutto, una forte e duratura amicizia. E poi l'incontro con l'amore: Camille, una ragazza fragile ma determinata a vivere a modo suo, ribelle, sognatrice, che lo amerà al di là tutto e contro tutti. Un legame tenace il loro, seppur complesso e contrastato, ma sempre sincero malgrado qualche reciproco tradimento. Una storia a tratti tormentata, un epilogo drammatico e qualche rimorso che lo tormenterà fino in età ormai matura...
April 22, 2011
A beautiful novel of love and loss, and of love that can never be lost. I recommend this highly. A beautiful portrait of Claude Monet and the love of his life.
April 18, 2023
We try to love each other and we never do perfectly, but what we cannot do doesn’t erase what we have done
It was an interesting historical fiction and a lovely love story. I enjoyed reading it. I wasn't bored or overwhelmed.
The problem with having loved, however briefly, he thought reflectively, is that you can’t ever get back to yourself just as you were before. It changes you.
Yet, it didn't sweep me away. The lives of the real characters were fascinating (like the times they lived in), but Stephanie Cowell choose the gentler narration. The same story told more from Camille's or Frédéric's point of view would have been more interesting, and complex. I also would like to read the book about all main impressionists (and their beloved ones).
It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way.
Don't get me wrong. I can't point out errors in this novel. I can recommend it. It was just not as great as Claude Monet and his friends deserved.
August 18, 2011
I'm quite surprised by the glowing reviews this novel has received. Either I'm missing something, or I know too much. My intuition is telling me that this is again an instance when ignorance is bliss. If you begin this book thinking of waterlilies and pastels, I can see how it'd be pleasant. La di da, fine art, love story, struggling artist, burgeoning career, shades of violet... yeah. And I suppose if you're content with shallow happy things, you could leave it be. I however, am not one of those shiny happy people. Having spent too much time in dark rooms, studying slide after slide of paintings, and coming to the conclusion that artists hardly are so one-dimensional.
While I understand that it's impossible to keep a story such as Claude & Camille historically accurate with the lack of biographical information on the two; I don't understand why an author would take on such a project if they weren't willing to push the limits. For instance, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter takes fictionalized biography to a new level. Weaving through history, Grahame-Smith is still able to make an interesting and engaging story. Not so much the story for Stephanie Cowell. Instead it reads as if she was trying so hard to not piss off any of the Impressionists' estates that she punched out a bland love story not worthy of being published in hardcover. As a starving artist from an abusive household, frequently evicted, forced to flee during wartime, I can't accept that life for Claude and Camille was so simple. "I love you"s aren't so easily solicited during times of heightened stress, even less so once another woman moves into the household. This leads me to believe not only does Cowell not understand art, but anything about love as well.
While I understand that it's impossible to keep a story such as Claude & Camille historically accurate with the lack of biographical information on the two; I don't understand why an author would take on such a project if they weren't willing to push the limits. For instance, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter takes fictionalized biography to a new level. Weaving through history, Grahame-Smith is still able to make an interesting and engaging story. Not so much the story for Stephanie Cowell. Instead it reads as if she was trying so hard to not piss off any of the Impressionists' estates that she punched out a bland love story not worthy of being published in hardcover. As a starving artist from an abusive household, frequently evicted, forced to flee during wartime, I can't accept that life for Claude and Camille was so simple. "I love you"s aren't so easily solicited during times of heightened stress, even less so once another woman moves into the household. This leads me to believe not only does Cowell not understand art, but anything about love as well.
April 1, 2024
When struggling artist Claude Monet falls in love with Camille, she becomes his lover, his life partner, and his forever muse. But, how will upper-class Camille adjust to a life of poverty? Despite the struggles to survive, will she continue to choose Monet, his art, and his mental wellbeing over her own comfort and financial security?
Based on the real life of Claude and Camille, I was fascinated by not only their immense love for each other, but also their enduring friendships with other Impressionists such as Renoir, Cézanne, Pissarro, and Manet. Their communal life with an "all for one and one for all" mentality was inspiring as they supported each other both emotionally and at times, financially. I've loved Monet's paintings since I was a teenager and was overwhelmed with emotion when I was finally able to view a large collection in person 5 years ago, so I was delighted to learn more about not only the artist but his beloved muse.
"We try to love each other and we never do perfectly, but what we cannot do doesn't erase what we have done."
"The water lilies were the truest ones, for within them he had captured her beauty, her variability, and her light... Did they [art lovers] see her as well? Perhaps and perhaps not... They would see their own dreams and losses and hopes and the terrible brevity of life and imperfection of love."
Location: France
Based on the real life of Claude and Camille, I was fascinated by not only their immense love for each other, but also their enduring friendships with other Impressionists such as Renoir, Cézanne, Pissarro, and Manet. Their communal life with an "all for one and one for all" mentality was inspiring as they supported each other both emotionally and at times, financially. I've loved Monet's paintings since I was a teenager and was overwhelmed with emotion when I was finally able to view a large collection in person 5 years ago, so I was delighted to learn more about not only the artist but his beloved muse.
"We try to love each other and we never do perfectly, but what we cannot do doesn't erase what we have done."
"The water lilies were the truest ones, for within them he had captured her beauty, her variability, and her light... Did they [art lovers] see her as well? Perhaps and perhaps not... They would see their own dreams and losses and hopes and the terrible brevity of life and imperfection of love."
Location: France
September 20, 2011
Stephanie Cowell is a wonderfully imaginative and engaging novelist. In "Claude and Camille" she uses elegant prose and descriptive detail in a compelling narrative, telling the story of young Monet and his first wife and model, Camille Doncieux. While the story of a struggling young artist and the woman who sacrifices wealth and social position to share her lover's hard life is a familiar one, Ms. Cowell tells it with great skill and fresh psychological insight. What's more, she re-creates the world of the Impressionists brilliantly, putting the reader in each and every scene as though he or she were living and breathing the same air as the characters.
While some things have been fictionalized for dramatic effect, the story is for the most part accurate and the product of extensive research and attention to period detail. But that detail is carefully interwoven into the story, and never seems obtrusive. And Ms. Cowell offers the astute reader an interesting theory about old Monet's obsession with the water lilies in his garden at Giverny. In sum, this is an outstanding example of historical fiction at its best.
While some things have been fictionalized for dramatic effect, the story is for the most part accurate and the product of extensive research and attention to period detail. But that detail is carefully interwoven into the story, and never seems obtrusive. And Ms. Cowell offers the astute reader an interesting theory about old Monet's obsession with the water lilies in his garden at Giverny. In sum, this is an outstanding example of historical fiction at its best.
June 7, 2012
Beautiful and bittersweet love story
Most muses are enigmatic, a face in a painting, a elegant and beautiful woman walking in the garden , or even inspiration behind a story . Unforgettable yet obscure, they fascinate modern admirers, and from "Birth of Venus" to "Flaming June" we are compelled to imagine them and postulate lives around them in the same way we yearn to solve a mystery, but Camille was a real and true one , she left her wealthy home to become his muse, his friend and wife , and to follow his dream.
If you're looking for a story that goes beyond the proverbial "struggling artist" stereotype, this is a magnificent novel. Claude and Camille bring in mind the powers of observation and emotional sensitivity imperative to the creation of beautiful art.
The author does a wonderful job by slowly revealing the essence of central characters in the story and interpreting artistic pieces in a way that makes one want to run to see the painter's work
Near the end of his life Monet lived his dream but his muse was no more.
August 20, 2013
"If we can't risk anything, we can't have anything real." --Monet
The story of Claude Monet’s unbreakable resolve to paint in a world unprepared for his contemporary style. Cowell breaks down all the romantic, bohemian notions of artists with a stark picture of struggling painters, who batter their will and break their hearts against the emptiness of poverty and a wall of resistance in the Parisian art world.
Like a man in any century, Monet struggled to balance his career ambitions with the impecunious lifestyle it imposed on his family and the love of his life, Camille, who up until her relationship with Claude only knew privilege. His love at first sight moment is haunting and his desire to possess and paint Camille in frenetic turns is bittersweet.
Throughout Cowell’s story, Monet is depicted as an artist driven to paint the world around him through the reflections of his emotions. His inspiration in the people and places of Paris and rural France is rendered in a way that makes this historical figure whole and authentic.
The story of Claude Monet’s unbreakable resolve to paint in a world unprepared for his contemporary style. Cowell breaks down all the romantic, bohemian notions of artists with a stark picture of struggling painters, who batter their will and break their hearts against the emptiness of poverty and a wall of resistance in the Parisian art world.
Like a man in any century, Monet struggled to balance his career ambitions with the impecunious lifestyle it imposed on his family and the love of his life, Camille, who up until her relationship with Claude only knew privilege. His love at first sight moment is haunting and his desire to possess and paint Camille in frenetic turns is bittersweet.
Throughout Cowell’s story, Monet is depicted as an artist driven to paint the world around him through the reflections of his emotions. His inspiration in the people and places of Paris and rural France is rendered in a way that makes this historical figure whole and authentic.
September 6, 2010
A very touching novel, showing the beginning of the Impressionism group formed by Monet, Pissaro, Renoir among others. The book has a mixture of history and romance as well with some historical background also.
July 30, 2020
I really like art and I enjoyed this book about the early career of Claude Monet and his first love and wife Camille. This book brought out the struggles of an launching an artist career and its toll on the woman
who loved him very much.
At times I really wanted to see the pictures mentioned in story. I will have obtain on an art book to see how Monet painted Camille his model as well as his wife.
who loved him very much.
At times I really wanted to see the pictures mentioned in story. I will have obtain on an art book to see how Monet painted Camille his model as well as his wife.
February 23, 2019
I loved this novel of Claude and Camille Monet. This is s story of lifelong love, between not only Monet and his wife, but also of the enduring friendships among the group of artists known as the Impressionists. This book was very educational for me!
April 7, 2010
Claude Monet was a struggling young artist who was part of a burgeoning movement – living from sale to sale of his artwork, collaborating with his fellow painters: Frederic Bazille, Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley. Camille Doncieux was a flowering young woman from the upper crust of society who was set to follow the path laid out for her by her parents – the way all respectable young women should. When these two accidentally cross paths, both of their lives change in ways that they could never imagine.
I loved the way that this story was framed – there are sections from the past lives of Claude and Camille, each laid out with dates, and interludes of Claude’s later life in his beautiful home/garden in Giverny. There are intimate details revealed in the interludes that explain parts of the back story. From the very beginning, which is set in one of the interludes, you get the feeling that there is a great sadness in Claude’s life – something which happened that he is held responsible for. You can feel his pain and sadness, and even though you know that something terrible is going to happen and you think you are prepared for it, I would be very surprised if you don’t shed a few tears upon the reveal.
I was never a huge fan of Monet’s artwork – I can appreciate it, but I’m not a fan of the Impressionist movement as a whole. Not being a fan, I had never thought to consider looking up anything about his life, but after reading this novel, I was very interested in the life of Claude and Camille. While parts of the novel are fictionalized for the sake of the story, I thought that it only added to the allure of Monet. I know that the beautiful cover was initially what drew me to this book (this is not the current cover, but I am so thankful to have received the ARC copy with my favorite cover) and I am so glad that I picked it up – one of my top reads so far this year.
This was a beautifully written story and this would be one of those books that I would read again. I am going to move Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell up my TBR list because of how much I enjoyed this book.
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
I loved the way that this story was framed – there are sections from the past lives of Claude and Camille, each laid out with dates, and interludes of Claude’s later life in his beautiful home/garden in Giverny. There are intimate details revealed in the interludes that explain parts of the back story. From the very beginning, which is set in one of the interludes, you get the feeling that there is a great sadness in Claude’s life – something which happened that he is held responsible for. You can feel his pain and sadness, and even though you know that something terrible is going to happen and you think you are prepared for it, I would be very surprised if you don’t shed a few tears upon the reveal.
I was never a huge fan of Monet’s artwork – I can appreciate it, but I’m not a fan of the Impressionist movement as a whole. Not being a fan, I had never thought to consider looking up anything about his life, but after reading this novel, I was very interested in the life of Claude and Camille. While parts of the novel are fictionalized for the sake of the story, I thought that it only added to the allure of Monet. I know that the beautiful cover was initially what drew me to this book (this is not the current cover, but I am so thankful to have received the ARC copy with my favorite cover) and I am so glad that I picked it up – one of my top reads so far this year.
This was a beautifully written story and this would be one of those books that I would read again. I am going to move Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell up my TBR list because of how much I enjoyed this book.
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
October 21, 2016
This was a light, connect the chronological dots story when it should have been a deeply moving love story between a troubled artist and his muse. It was not quite fiction as it concerns historical figures and events and not quite autobiography as so many gaps are filled in. The post notes acknowledge that little is known about Camille. I know this genre is historical fiction and it is my problem that I can't accept it as that. Personally, I like to keep biography predominantly accurate and historical fiction accurate to time and place with fictional characters. Think Pillars of the Earth.
That being said, I did enjoy most of the book. I liked the comradery among the artists and the struggle of Impressionism to find its name and place in art. I loved the description, "When will people ever see that good art is living and real, intimate, not grand? That real beauty is in ordinary life." p.73.
It is a nice vacation read and provides enough discussion for book clubs. What is art? Does creative genius have to include selfishness and a touch of insanity? What concessions do we make for those we love? What is the role of a partner then and would the relationships be different now?
I loved the inclusion of the interludes from Monet's later years. It added suspense and interest in discovering if he received closure at the end of his life. So it was such a disappointment that this appears to have been a plot trick with the glossing over of his later years and sudden, uneventful ending. I also had difficulty understanding references to Camille's moods, especially with no historical link. Was the author implying depression or bipolar illness or an exaggerated theatrical personality?
I recommend reading Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman after this book as several of the characters overlap. Claude and Camille provides more detail about the other artists while Marriage is a multigenerational saga of Pissaro's family. Marriage provides a more in depth exploration of relationships in general rather than one couple.
Note: I would have given the book a 3.5 if Goodreads had half points or 7.5 out of 10.
That being said, I did enjoy most of the book. I liked the comradery among the artists and the struggle of Impressionism to find its name and place in art. I loved the description, "When will people ever see that good art is living and real, intimate, not grand? That real beauty is in ordinary life." p.73.
It is a nice vacation read and provides enough discussion for book clubs. What is art? Does creative genius have to include selfishness and a touch of insanity? What concessions do we make for those we love? What is the role of a partner then and would the relationships be different now?
I loved the inclusion of the interludes from Monet's later years. It added suspense and interest in discovering if he received closure at the end of his life. So it was such a disappointment that this appears to have been a plot trick with the glossing over of his later years and sudden, uneventful ending. I also had difficulty understanding references to Camille's moods, especially with no historical link. Was the author implying depression or bipolar illness or an exaggerated theatrical personality?
I recommend reading Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman after this book as several of the characters overlap. Claude and Camille provides more detail about the other artists while Marriage is a multigenerational saga of Pissaro's family. Marriage provides a more in depth exploration of relationships in general rather than one couple.
Note: I would have given the book a 3.5 if Goodreads had half points or 7.5 out of 10.
October 8, 2014
This is a novelization of the Impressionist artist, Claude Monet. It is similar in tone to The Paris Wife and the Aviator's Wife which are also novelizations of famous figures' lives. This story is told in the third person, focussing on Monet's point of view. It begins at age 17, when he realizes that he has a gift and is meant to be an artist as he cannot see himself doing anything else. He goes to Paris where he meets up with other artists, Renoir, Manet and Pissaro as well as the man who becomes his best friend, Fredeic Bazille. They are all scraping by, as art is not paying enough to support them. They are reliant on their families which mostly hoped for better things for their sons. Monet eventually meets Camille Doncieux who becomes his great love and greatest muse. She is from a wealthy family and somewhat fragile, but supports him as he leads the driven life of an artist. I would not have picked this up, but it is a selection for one of my book groups. I knew little about the Impressionist artists; I have seen some of their great paintings, but I was unaware of the political climate in the late 1800s in France. This will definitely appeal to those interested in art as it gives insight into these artists' lives and fans of historical fiction who enjoy reading more about famous men and women.
March 14, 2023
Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell is a historical fiction novel set between 1857-1879, when Claude Monet was a young man struggling to make enough money selling his paintings in Paris. He meets Camille Doncieux and she becomes his muse and first wife.
I liked that Cowell wanted to tell the story of Monet before he began his famous gardens in Giverny, where he settled in 1883. However, the characters lacked serious growth, and the novel seemed only pushed forward by the events of Monet's life, which happens with some historical fiction. The romance was horrible. By the end of the novel, I wished Claude and Camille had never met (as did like, most of the other characters?). This novel could have benefited from having Camille have her own perspective and chapters.
I loved the setting and there were some great descriptions. I would love to read more about Monet, but non-fiction only.
I liked that Cowell wanted to tell the story of Monet before he began his famous gardens in Giverny, where he settled in 1883. However, the characters lacked serious growth, and the novel seemed only pushed forward by the events of Monet's life, which happens with some historical fiction. The romance was horrible. By the end of the novel, I wished Claude and Camille had never met (as did like, most of the other characters?). This novel could have benefited from having Camille have her own perspective and chapters.
I loved the setting and there were some great descriptions. I would love to read more about Monet, but non-fiction only.
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