The Lady and the Unicorn

Rating:
Summary: Haunting and thrilling
Review: I love historical fiction and I just love this book. I do have to confess that it took me awhile to get into the story lines ~~ but once I got more into the book, the stories woven together managed to draw me into the lives of the characters. There is Nicolas, the artist, who gets a commission to draw the paintings for the tapesteries for an upcoming noble man. There he falls in love with the nobleman's daughter, Claude. There is the relationship, strained as it is, between Claude and her mother. There is the housemaid who Nicolas impregnated. There is Beatrice, waiting lady first to the mother then to the daughter. There is the family in Brussels, whose lives are forever changed once Nicolas entered it. All of these stories are woven together in a span of a couple of years ~~ and little do they know that their actions influence each other whether they are in Brussels or in Paris.

It is a compelling look into history as well ~~ and a wonderful story of those who make their living off the looms. It is a mixture of nobility and merchant class that have come together in this novel. Once you pick up this book, you will not be able to put it down. All of the stories draw you into the characters' lives and dreams.

I enjoyed "Girl with a Pearl Earring" immensely ~~ read it long before it became a top seller. I enjoy this one just as well ~~ and wished I had picked it up sooner. It's a great book to escape into ~~ the descriptions of the Lady and the Unicorn are just wonderful that I can see it in my own mind. This book is another must-read for those who like art and history.

10-15-04

Rating:
Summary: An AMAZING disappointment!
Review: I was looking forward to the next Chevalier offering; of course, having read all of her former books,THE VIRGIN BLUE,FALLING ANGELS,and the haunting GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING.
So? What did I delve into? A short book with anti-heroes/heroines.....thoroughly unlikeable main characters; a tedious recounting of how a tapestry is woven; and a plot so unbelievable that I, a life-long student and teacher of European history could hardly countenance the odd twists and turns. A sexual encounter under a table? Profligate violations of Guild rules? And happenstance pregnancies that presume to add to the story line? It was too much to swallow. Bottom line is that this author is grasping at a momentary glimpse of fame and she had better get her act together before she publishes, or is published, again. Sorry I bought it; and it's a give-a-way to anyone who wants it! Any takers?