Portrait of Jennie

Rating:
Summary: Timeless Classic!!
Review: This lovely short novel was written in 1939, and made into a movie with Joseph Cotten and Jennifer (appropriate name!) Jones in 1948. It's an odd, very haunting book. At times it is extremely beautiful and moving, though I don't think Nathan quite manages the ending: which isn't to say I can see a better answer. It's about a young struggling artist who meets a mysterious little girl playing by herself in a park. He befriends her and learns that her parents are high wire jugglers. Then she disappears, but reappears a few more times, always a few years older. After a while the artist realizes how strange things are (Jennie always seems to know). Basically, she seems disconnected from time. The artist's sketches of Jennie give him the break he needs to make his career, but before long Jennie is all he cares about. The book moves quickly to the inevitable ending. Parts of it, as I said, are haunting: the images of the lonely girl in the park bring tears to my eyes as I type. And there are some very fine lines as well. Really a very good book.

Rating:
Summary: Lovely and Haunting
Review: This lovely short novel was written in 1939, and made into a movie with Joseph Cotten and Jennifer (appropriate name!) Jones in 1948. It's an odd, very haunting book. At times it is extremely beautiful and moving, though I don't think Nathan quite manages the ending: which isn't to say I can see a better answer. It's about a young struggling artist who meets a mysterious little girl playing by herself in a park. He befriends her and learns that her parents are high wire jugglers. Then she disappears, but reappears a few more times, always a few years older. After a while the artist realizes how strange things are (Jennie always seems to know). Basically, she seems disconnected from time. The artist's sketches of Jennie give him the break he needs to make his career, but before long Jennie is all he cares about. The book moves quickly to the inevitable ending. Parts of it, as I said, are haunting: the images of the lonely girl in the park bring tears to my eyes as I type. And there are some very fine lines as well. Really a very good book.

Rating:
Summary: Echoes of the Past
Review: This story of strange young girl from out of the past who brings inspiration to an artist down on his luck exhibits the kind of full on romanticism one rarely encounters these days. This is a novel of pure mysticism, yet you needn't be a mystic to thoroughly enjoy it. An excellant film was made from it starring Joseph Cotton--- also very worthwhile to the true romantics amongst us.