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Quotes
Add a QuoteR.L.S.: "Obviously, I am not afraid to write about cruelty or violence. But for a writer to feed the reader great dank heaps of ugliness in the name of realism is dispiriting. ... Writers should find out where joy resides and give it a voice. Every bright word or picture is a piece of pleasure set afloat. The reader catches it, and he goes on his way rejoicing. It's the business of art of send him that way as often as possible. I have to believe that every heart that has beat strongly and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in this world. If I cannot believe that, then why should I go on? Why should anyone go on?"
p.303
It had been a joke among them that Henley had the tact of a pachyderm. “I reserve the right to insult my friends,” Henley used to say when they confronted him.
Comment
Add a CommentA page-turner biographical novel of a pair of complex characters - physically, emotionally, and creatively - who lived in many interesting locations during their two decades together. Also an interesting study of a variety of cultures at a tipping point in history. The reader encounters little gems of wording by the author that add enjoyment.
I enjoyed this. The middle was slow reading, but at the end, I felt I had learned a lot about Robert Louis Stevenson and - even more so - the challenge of being a creative woman during a time when women were mostly kept in the background. The final years in Samoa were fascinating.
I looked forward to reading this book, as I had read the author's "Loving Frank". I learned a lot about Robert Louis Stevenson, but I felt that the author rambled on too long in the last part of the book about their time in the South Pacific. She could have eliminated nearly 100 pages by consolidating some of that material. All in all, I did enjoy the story.
This is a beautifully-written fictionalized account of the marriage of Robert Louis Stevenson and his American wife Fanny. Knowing nothing about their lives prior to reading this, I found the entire thing helpfully thorough, although by the end of the novel the reader might wish the author had been a bit narrower in her focus. However, both Stevensons are written as highly memorable, delightfully flawed characters, and the writing is lovely. These two people led an odd and passionate life together, and it's one that is certainly worthy of a novel.
lyrical and entertaining
Love affair of Robert Louis Stevenson (Author) and older divorcee woman Fanny Van DeGriff. Really enjoyed reading about this time period and the nomadic life they lived.
I chose to read this based on my love of Horan’s first book, “Loving Frank” despite the fact that I knew next to nothing about Robert Louis Stevenson. I enjoyed it a great deal more than I expected to. An interesting read that examines the many highs and lows of Stevenson’s relationship with his American wife, as well as his struggle to achieve literary success. I may just have to pick up a copy of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” or “Treasure Island” in the future.