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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
An emotionally evocative, Historical YA that loosely explores the lives of notable historical figures —Léon Delafosse, Marcel Proust, Robert de Montesquiou and even John Singer Sargent.
Which follows the young Composer and Painist, Léon Delafosse as he navigates his way through the dazzling allure 19th C high society in order to live up to the moniker of France’s Mozart.
A Coming of Age tale exploring self acceptance, sexuality and classism in such a nuanced and relatable way, I genuinely really enjoyed this.
Léon, our protagonist and sole POV character was so well written and full of depth. He’s quite an introspective character and not nearly as outgoing as some of the more flamboyant people we meet but, exploring his thought processes, feelings and personal motivations endeared me to this ambitiously naive, and endlessly hopeful young man.
Based on archived letters between Delafosse and Marcel Proust (as well as Proust’s fictionalised depiction of him in his novel ‘Remembrance of Things Past’) we get a glimpse at what the real Léon may have been like—which was intriguing to me (and did make me eager to do some of my own research into his life during and after Paris.)
Supporting characters Marcel and Robert (Léon’s Patron) though both well written, weren’t as in depth as our protagonist, Léon. Understandably our focus is Léon but I would’ve liked to have delved into Robert a bit more.
Obviously, as it’s a fictionalised version of events, nobody definitively knows what prompted the fallout between Delafosse and his patron (and subsequent exit from Paris High society), but I’d like to think that, despite the poetic licence he had someone as sweet and dependable as Felix to love and support him.
For a secondary character, I both loved and was impressed by how much insight we are able to glean from Felix— given most of his interactions are through letters. The emotions conveyed were heart-breakingly sweet, and at times I couldn’t help but want to hug him. His cinnamon roll/golden retriever energy was a soothing balm to the manipulative scheming of Paris’ upper classes, I just wish we had gotten to see more of him.
Overall, a heartfelt, coming of age story exploring queer identity and self acceptance that,despite the historical setting is incredibly relevant —and a perfect starting point for discussions around queer experiences throughout history.
Also, a huge thank you to Harper360YA for the physical proof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Homophobia
Moderate: Outing
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
While this was a beautifully written coming-of-age and romance novel, I felt myself losing interest (maybe because I wasn't particularly in the mood for something historical, although Eliot absolutely took liberties with Leon's life to make it entertaining! I just struggled to get through it. This was definitely a case of "it's not you, it's me" and I'm sad about it.)
I felt the romance between Leon and his hometown best friend Felix was a quiet romance, which I adore, especially for teens/young adults! It feels so authentic and Eliot wrote the longing so well! <3 I think the backstory of what inspired Eliot to write this was fascinating, and it's so impressive that so much research was done to try to do this story justice.
I will continue to read from Eliot in the future, and this book was sweet, but just not my favorite!
I felt the romance between Leon and his hometown best friend Felix was a quiet romance, which I adore, especially for teens/young adults! It feels so authentic and Eliot wrote the longing so well! <3 I think the backstory of what inspired Eliot to write this was fascinating, and it's so impressive that so much research was done to try to do this story justice.
I will continue to read from Eliot in the future, and this book was sweet, but just not my favorite!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
betweentheshelves's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Léon Delafosse is supposed to be France’s next great pianist. He’s the youngest student ever accepted into the Paris Conservatory, and has been studying for years. However, in 1890s Paris, it’s nearly impossible to make it as any kind of artist without a patron.
Enter Marcel Proust, a young gossip columnist who takes an interest in Léon. He takes him under his wing and introduces him to the right people. So, when Count Robert de Montesquiou-Fézensac offers Léon patronage, he immediately accepts. But as Léon gets closer to his dreams, he realizes he’s getting further away from his original country roots. And thus, further away from Felix, the boy he might just love.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer to review! Schrefer seems to be excellent at writing characters who seem to find themselves in impossible situations. Moving from sci-fi to historical fiction might be an odd jump, but Schrefer has shown that he can masterfully write in both genres.
In the author’s note, Schrefer explains that he was interested in the story of Léon Delafosse after seeing his painting in a museum. After learning that Léon and Robert had a falling out, he was inspired to write this story. Not a lot of YA historical fiction is set during this particular time period, so it really was a breath of fresh air in that aspect. Even though I am no historical expert, the story felt well-researched and realistic for the time period he is portraying.
This book is generally more of a character driven story, showing more of what life could have been like in this time period for those that are queer. It’s a bit slow moving, focusing on Léon and the way he’s moving about society. The writing style also sort of fits with the kind of things that would have been written at that time, which helps to pull you into the story even more.
However, it is quite a short book, so it almost feels like maybe it was over a bit too soon. For the most part, this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it, but it could have been fun to see more of an expansion of some of the background characters.
All in all, if you like historical drama, you’ll definitely enjoy this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
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