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A Novel
by Maureen Gibbon
A sensual portrait of Manet's last years, and a vibrant testament to the endurance of the artistic spirit.
Suffering from the complications of syphilis toward the end of his life, Édouard Manet begins to jot down his daily impressions, reflections, and memories in a notebook. Between healing respites in the French countryside and holding court in his Paris studio, he finds inspiration in nature―a cloud of dragonflies, peonies blanketed by the morning dew―and in the ocean-blue eyes of his muse, Suzon. Entranced by Suzon, he decides to paint his final masterpiece, "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere", life-sized―wagering his health in the process. In this stunningly original work of historical fiction, illustrated with Manet's own sketches, Maureen Gibbon offers an indelible snapshot of genius, illness, and the dying embers of passion.
Favorite quote from a book
...ar to yours: "Firsts are easy to recognize. (…) What is much harder is to know the last of things. Those you do not recognize until time has passed." The Lost Notebook of Edouard Manet by Maureen Gibbon
-Leslie_R
"Reminiscent of Victorian fiction, this epistolary novel reads as intimately as a found artifact from Manet himself. Readers may find it difficult to extract themselves from the story to recall that this is not in fact a primary source but rather a constructed narrative. This compelling and revealing book furthers a cultural understanding of Manet's place in time and art, a difficult task for a difficult character. Very well done." - Julie Kane, Washington & Lee Lib., Lexington, VA
"Though the notebook's brief, episodic texts never gather much in the way of momentum, Gibbon speaks eloquently of the human capacity to live fully amid devastating challenges. It's well done, though for a novel about an innovative artist, it's also remarkably tame." - Publishers Weekly
"Like one of the master's paintings, The Lost Notebook of Édouard Manet is universal in ambition, delicate in sensibility, and intimate in scope. In other words, this book is a miracle." - Rabih Alameddine
This information about The Lost Notebook of Edouard Manet was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Maureen Gibbon is the author of Paris Red, Thief, and Swimming Sweet Arrow. Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the New York Times, Literary Hub, Playboy, and other publications. Gibbon resides in northern Minnesota.

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