Camille Claudel [Hardcover]

Anne Delbee (Author), Carol Cosman (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1992

"A fictionalized biography of current French feminist martyr Claudel (accomplished sculptor and lover of Rodin), whose ill-starred life has also been the subject of a 1989 movie, as well as a play by Delbee".--"Kirkus Reviews", August 5, 1992.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Until recently, it appeared that the sculptor Camille Claudel (1864-1943) had effectively disappeared from history. The 1980s, however, saw a biography by her grand-niece Reine-Marie Paris, a biographical film starring Isabelle Adjani, and both a play and this novel by Delbee. Born into the upper middle class in 1864, Claudel braved the skepticism of society and her family--including her brother, the poet and diplomat Paul Claudel--to become a sculptor. Her studies with Auguste Rodin led to their stormy affair. While he was inspired, she was left drained and--much as she resisted--her name has forever been associated with that of the older artist. Though she gained a measure of critical success, she was never able to support herself and continued to receive money from her father. A week after his death in 1913, she was institutionalized; she remained in the asylum for 30 years, until her death. Unfortunately, the melodrama that drew Delbee to Claudel has also overwhelmed her narrative. All the facts are here, but it is the tiny fragments drawn from Paul Claudel's works or Camille's few remaining letters that evoke the pathos of her life, not Delbee's overheated prose ("The storm raged. The sky flashed white. She was warm, warm with her frantic efforts, warm like an expectant lover") The facts alone are sad enough. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

• Hardcover: 373 pages
• Publisher: Mercury House; 1ST edition (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562790269
• ISBN-13: 978-1562790264
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,933,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most painful book I have ever read., September 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Camille Claudel (Paperback)

This is a book that I wish I had not read and yet it is one of the best books I have ever read. Camille Claudel's soul found it's path into mine and I felt all the hate towards August Rodin that she was incapable of because of her love for him and breathtaking passion for her own and his work. In a lot of ways this book resembles "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" in revealing how a human spirit will not bend....

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkable Biography of a Remarkable Woman, June 29, 2001

By 

Karen A. Diamond (Louisiana, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Camille Claudel: Une Femme (Paperback)

Ann Delbee's nonfiction treasure introduces us to one of the most compelling personalities of recent history. Camille Claudel was, in trite terms that fail miserably to serve her, a contemporary, colleague, and lover of the famed sculptor Auguste Rodin. Not merely a biography, but an unabashed dissection of the life, loves, and works of a true Renaissance woman, this biographical masterpiece illuminates every nuance of an extremely complex persona. Detail and development are so extensive that it is difficult to remind oneself that this is not AUTOBIOGRAPHY. We are thrust into the midst of the stormy relationship between Claudel and Rodin and learn of her influence on the great artist's life and work. At the same time we reflect on Claudel's own place in the art world of her time. The artist paints a vivid portrait of Camille's home and family life, particularly the special bond she shared with her brother, the poet Paul Claudel. Delbee succeeds with splendor in developing an understanding of Camille's unique positon as a woman in her society. Ultimately, Camille Claudel rises from these pages both triumphant and tragic.