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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
The Flames - Sophie Haydock
This is the story of four muses...Women whose bodies were shown in intimate detail, depicted by the charming yet controversial artist Egon Schiele. But who were they?
‘He’s tall, mesmerising, almost demanding to be touch’
This is a stunning, sizzling, mesmerising debut, these four women all brought dazzlingly to life in a beautifully crafted and absorbing novel.
Utterly beguiling and truly compelling, the voices of these four women so strong, women to be remembered for who they were, reaching out beyond the works of art that we know.
Adele is the daughter of a bourgeois family, held back by the class and strictures of her family, she is passionate and obsessed with Schiele. Constantly trying to contrive a meeting and fantasising about what could be. She is a little wild, headstrong and jealous - but her world is tipped on its edge by betrayal.
‘The pure burning shock of that moment still singes her soul.’
Gertrude is Schiele’s sister. She is vibrant, loves her brother fiercely and possessively. She learns so much as she gets older and longs to live a life away from her difficult family life.
‘If love can make you lose yourself so fully, make you kill the best things in yourself, then Gertrude promises herself she’ll never, ever succumb.’
Vally is fiercely independent and proud, she has modelled for Klimt and wants to create a new path for herself. She is treated cruelly by Schiele, always in his shadow. I liked her, she felt very modern and strong. She knows what she wants but, was kind and very defensive of those she loved.
‘She does not want to be remembered. She is here for Egon. Egon alone.’
Edith is quiet, passive and conventional. Younger sister of Adele and overlooked - or is she? Edith felt the most striking character to me, she steps away from the shackles of her conventional life to become something different.
‘He seemed to be the first person who saw Edith for who she really was, and she couldn’t bear to be unseen again.’
Schiele had such a profound effect on these women’s lives, ruinous some might say. Through their stories we learn Schiele’s also. I did quite a bit of reading around to learn more, fascinated by their stories and their own views of Egon, made for different versions of him. I loved these women. All different, all with their own strength. I didn’t much like Schiele, there were glimpses of a lovely man but he felt unkind, selfish but also tortured.
The short interludes where we jump forward to the 60’s lends some perspective to the book. I enjoyed seeing Egon and his art through the eyes of the older Adele, still obsessive having been demolished by love, it felt sad, wanting to make amends and find answers.
‘I never stopped to imagine that these models had lives of their own.’
I absolutely adored this book. These women burn bright with their own flame, they were real, had their own stories captured and reimagined in this novel in a stunning way.
✩✩✩✩✩
[AD PR PRODUCT]
Thanks so much to Random Things Tours, DoubledayUK books and Sophie Haycock for my copy of this book and spot on the tour
This is the story of four muses...Women whose bodies were shown in intimate detail, depicted by the charming yet controversial artist Egon Schiele. But who were they?
‘He’s tall, mesmerising, almost demanding to be touch’
This is a stunning, sizzling, mesmerising debut, these four women all brought dazzlingly to life in a beautifully crafted and absorbing novel.
Utterly beguiling and truly compelling, the voices of these four women so strong, women to be remembered for who they were, reaching out beyond the works of art that we know.
Adele is the daughter of a bourgeois family, held back by the class and strictures of her family, she is passionate and obsessed with Schiele. Constantly trying to contrive a meeting and fantasising about what could be. She is a little wild, headstrong and jealous - but her world is tipped on its edge by betrayal.
‘The pure burning shock of that moment still singes her soul.’
Gertrude is Schiele’s sister. She is vibrant, loves her brother fiercely and possessively. She learns so much as she gets older and longs to live a life away from her difficult family life.
‘If love can make you lose yourself so fully, make you kill the best things in yourself, then Gertrude promises herself she’ll never, ever succumb.’
Vally is fiercely independent and proud, she has modelled for Klimt and wants to create a new path for herself. She is treated cruelly by Schiele, always in his shadow. I liked her, she felt very modern and strong. She knows what she wants but, was kind and very defensive of those she loved.
‘She does not want to be remembered. She is here for Egon. Egon alone.’
Edith is quiet, passive and conventional. Younger sister of Adele and overlooked - or is she? Edith felt the most striking character to me, she steps away from the shackles of her conventional life to become something different.
‘He seemed to be the first person who saw Edith for who she really was, and she couldn’t bear to be unseen again.’
Schiele had such a profound effect on these women’s lives, ruinous some might say. Through their stories we learn Schiele’s also. I did quite a bit of reading around to learn more, fascinated by their stories and their own views of Egon, made for different versions of him. I loved these women. All different, all with their own strength. I didn’t much like Schiele, there were glimpses of a lovely man but he felt unkind, selfish but also tortured.
The short interludes where we jump forward to the 60’s lends some perspective to the book. I enjoyed seeing Egon and his art through the eyes of the older Adele, still obsessive having been demolished by love, it felt sad, wanting to make amends and find answers.
‘I never stopped to imagine that these models had lives of their own.’
I absolutely adored this book. These women burn bright with their own flame, they were real, had their own stories captured and reimagined in this novel in a stunning way.
✩✩✩✩✩
[AD PR PRODUCT]
Thanks so much to Random Things Tours, DoubledayUK books and Sophie Haycock for my copy of this book and spot on the tour
wow. piszę to i uciekam dodawać do koszyka książki o życiu egona schiele. wyśmienita lektura!
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Death of parent
Moderate: Self harm, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Found out the artist that the characters revolve around was arrested for seducing an underage girl 🤷♀️😬 wasn't super keen on reading about the female characters kind of idolising him after that
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes