Topic: Book Review
Camille Claudel: A Novel
Author: Alma H. Bond
ISBN: 1-4241-1670-8
In a time when women were expected to stay home and stay quiet, Camille Claudel had the fortune--or misfortune--to be born with a talent for sculpting and the passion and will to throw aside convention and follow her heart. She lived and loved with a passion unsurpassed, yet died alone, her spirit broken and penniless.
Alma Bond has written Camille Claudel's story, using great psychological insight, in a way I believe Camille herself would have written it -- with great passion and emotion so rarely seen in today's literary works.
While Ms. Bond willingly admits she used her imagination to embellish the history and add to the facts, I can't help but feel her insight into the human psyche has allowed her to capture the feel of what really happened.
Bond has immense insight into not only the artistic mind, but also into the inner workings of a mindgone mad. She has a way of infiltrating Camille Claudel's mind, wrapping herself around it and exposing it to her readers in a way that pulls them in and allows them to experience the emotion for themselves.
If you are seeking a light read, pass this one up. If, however, you want a book in which you can immerse yourself, one that invokes emotion to the highest degree, pick up a copy of Camille Claudel: A Novel and be prepared for an experience you won't soon forget.
Posted by joyceanthony
at 11:51 PM EDT
