Customer Reviews

I Am Madame X : A Novel

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3 star:		(5)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

What do you do if you are a biographer who falls in love with a painting but can't find enough historical evidence to write the life story of the painting's subject? You make something up! That is precisely what Ms. Diliberto has done in this enjoyable, albeit romanticized, fictional adaptation of the life of Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau, the subject of John Singer Sargent's 1884 painting, Madame X.

Ms. Diliberto saw Sargent's masterpiece in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and knew immediately that she wanted to do a biography on the enigmatic woman depicted in the painting. Unfortunately, when she undertook the project, she could not find enough information on the subject. As a result, she took the information she had managed to collect and used Madame X as the subject of her first fictional work. The novel is similar to other recent works of historical fiction, such as The Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Other Boleyn Girl.

The novel itself is a quick and enjoyable read. The main character is well-developed, though I cannot say the same for most of the supporting characters. It is hard to say whether or not their lack of depth is a failing on the author's part or a deliberate attempt to emphasize the superficial nature of the main character. Everyone's appearance is vividly described, as is the environment in which they live, so I would venture to say that the lack of insight into their intellect is deliberate. Virginie lives a life dictated by appearances.

There are instances where the dissemination of the historical fact seems a bit heavy-handed. Those instances are probably a result of Ms. Diliberto's background as a biographer. I was impressed with her descriptive abilities and her flair for social melodrama. This novel felt similar to the works I have read by Jane Austin, particularly Emma. The colorful world that unfolds in I Am Madame X successfully captures a few of the romantic possibilities inspired by Sargent's portrait.

On a side note, I also enjoyed the Author's Note given at the end, where she gives the reader insight into what was fact and what was fiction. She even points out factual elements that she altered a bit to improve her story. I thought giving that information was a nice touch.

This novel is about a woman whose portrait at the Metropolitan has fascinated me to such a degree that I considerate it my favorite portrait. Therefore, I was intrigued by the idea of a novel about this mysterious creature. The pseudo-autobiography is quite breezy- indeed, I finished the book in hours. I enjoyed the parts of Virginie's story prior to posing for Sargent, especially the scenes in Louisiana, which breathe with life and detail. The rest of the novel definitely falls flat and there is no conclusion, but rather an abrupt end. Still, if you are facinated by the topic, it is a worthy addition to the Madame X library.

Sometimes, one must wonder about the synchronicity of energy in the universe. First, STRAPLESS, a joint biography of artist John Singer Sargent and his most famous subject, Virginie Gautreau, is published. Virtually on the heels of STRAPLESS comes I AM MADAME X, a fictionalized biography of the same Virginie Gautreau.

To be sure, I AM MADAME X is the easier of these two books to read, and it tells a marvelous tale. Still, since it openly is fiction, it is difficult to discern where historic fact ends and author Gioia Diliberto's fertile imagination has taken over the purportedly first-person report. Though Diliberto's scholarship seems excellent, there is no doubt that she has fabricated backstories to explain some of the recognized events in Virginie's life.

There is her detailed explanation of Virginie's strange marriage, and a subplot about an American black woman who has moved to Paris and is trying to pass as white. How true any of these anecdotes may be are impossible for the reader to know.

Too, the author's conclusion as to the pleasure that Virginie and her family derived from Sargent's famous painting is in direct contradiction to the details offered in the non-fictional biography.

Nonetheless, I AM MADAME X provides one of the best "contemporaneous" accounts of the Paris Commune of 1870, and of the emergence of the Belle Epoque period.

Taken together, STRAPLESS and I AM MADAME X offer wonderful insight into the late 19th Century Parisian social set.

As an art historian, I approached this book with a degree of trepidation. In the vein of The Da Vinci Code, so many works of historical fiction run so contrary to what is known about art that they are laughably unrealistic. I realize that these books are fiction, but the best historical fiction is written with an eye to the known facts, in an attempt to make the story more plausible. I'm not looking for, "We don't know what happened, so I can make anything up." I'm looking for, "Given what we do know, this story could very well have been possible, even though we'll never know for certain." (Tracy Chevalier excells at this.)

Diliberto so ignores the facts of art history that this book is virtually impossible to choke down. Virginie Gautreau, for one thing, typically went by her middle name, Amelie. She even signed letters this way. It wouldn't have taken Diliberto, an already established biographer, an inordinate amount of research to figure this out. This mistake at the beginning of the book was a harbinger of the boring, unresearched story to come.

I could forgive a lack of research, however, had the book been well written, but it was, quite simply, awful. The flatly drawn characters utter melodramatic phrases, one after the other, creating a work that reads more like a soap opera script than a novel. While Gautreau's life certainly did read like a tabloid at times, Diliberto's dialogue is completely unrealistic, oscillating between unintentionally comical and downright grating on the nerves.

I have to suggest that anyone intrigued by this painting read Deborah Davis's Strapless instead. Though not a work of fiction, it is written in a style that is more conversational than academic, and it's an easy and rewarding read. Davis also put quite a lot of effort into her research, and it shows. Too bad Diliberto didn't bother.

I read the book following rave reviews from my wife and 15 year old daughter, both of whom were riveted by it. We all then made a trip to the Metropolitan Museum in New York to behold the marvelous portrait. We then spent a lunch in museum discussing I am Madame X and how alive she seemed to us in both the painted and written portraits, both of which are worthy of one another. The unanimous verdict in our household is that the author has done a spectacular job recreating the beguiling, exotic world of Madame X and the fascinating French and American personalities around her. We can only hope that a second volume will explain further the mystery of the rouged ears!

There is very little known about the life of Virginie Gautreau and this author has managed to spin an entire book out of this paucity of facts. This is a light romance story at best, with pretensions of being an historical novel. This book edges close to a serial romance. If you are not enthralled with a lightweight romance, you are better off reading "Strapless". Same people, more factual.

Few portraits capture the eye as arrestingly as John Singer Sargent's Madame X. And, at an unveiling, few portraits cause the stir and affect lives as greatly as did this full-length study of a beautiful woman in a chic black gown.

With the skill of a consummate dramatist biographer Gioia Diliberto has penned her first novel by drawing upon the few facts known about Singer's mysterious subject. The result is a fully realized, fascinating story rich in period detail.

As was known to the Paris Salon in 1884 and as we know today when Madame X hangs in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art the haughty yet beguiling woman is Virginie Gautreau.

Born in New Orleans and raised on her grandmother's Louisiana sugar plantation, Virginie, her mother, and younger sister, Valentine, sought refuge in France as tides began to turn in the Civil War. Her most vivid memory of life at Parlange, as the plantation was called, is of her Aunt Julie's wedding day. In an attempt to escape an unwanted marriage 28-year-old Julie, an aspiring artist, threw herself from a second floor gallery breaking both legs.

"Men are bothersome beings," Julie had said. "I don't want to spend my days worrying about one."

Then 6-year-old Virginie may have heeded her aunt's words, as she seldom worried about the well being of men but used them to her advantage.

Upon arriving in Paris Virginie is sent to a dreaded convent school where she meets her first friend, Aurelie. Unbeknownst to Virginie her friend is "passing for white," and is expelled from the school when an outraged letter is received from Virginie's mother. The loss of her friend and confidant is devastating to Virginie, and is one of many attempts by her mother to manage the young girl's life in order to use her as an entree to the higher echelons of Parisian society.

But Virginie is not easily managed. She is soon recognized as a unique beauty and comes to expect the tributes she receives as her right. At the age of 15 she begins an affair with the handsome, unscrupulous Dr.Pozzi, ignoring her mother's shrieked warning: "He has a heart like an artichoke - a leaf for everyone, as the old Creoles used to say."
When she becomes pregnant Pozzi refuses to marry her, and insists upon an abortion. Heartbroken and fearful, the young Virginie accepts the proposal of Pierre Gautreau, an older banker who suggests a "marriage blanc," in which he will have no husbandly rights and they will lead separate lives.

Following a miscarriage Virginie devoted every waking hour to her appearance, turning her hair to a "deep, rich mahogany," whitening her skin, and rouging her ears. She embraced the dictum, "A woman's first duty is to be beautiful." The gowns she chose were daring for their bareness, accentuating her porcelain shoulders, and making her the focal point of every gathering. She soon was noted for her boldness as well as her beauty, and began an affair with political leader Leon Gambetta.

When Sargent initially approached Virginie about painting her portrait she was reluctant. But later became convinced that his success as a painter and acceptance by the Salon were credentials enough. Surely, she thought, his portrait of her and its introduction at the Salon would make her known throughout the European world.

As history relates the debut of her portrait had the opposite effect. Viewed as scandalous and shocking it was greeted with derisive jeers from the crowd. Infuriated by this response Virginie's mother lashed out at Sargent whose career was now in shambles. The artist fled to England where he was to gain fame and make a handsome living.

And, the painting rather than turning Virginie into the pariah that her mother feared later made her an international celebrity. It was so admired that King Louis II of Bavaria visited Paris just to see her, and Empress Elizabeth of Austria requested an introduction.

To this day the famous portrait of Madame X evokes a response whenever it is viewed.

Gioia Diliberto has fashioned an intriguing story of a vain, strong willed woman and Belle Epoque Paris.

- Gail Cooke

Some reviews have compared this book to Girl with a Pearl Earring or The Virgin Blue. I liked Chevalier's stories much better...richer characters, deeper storyline. I read this entire book and mostly enjoyed it. I was never tempted to give up on it. But, on the other hand, I was not moved by it. The characters were hard to relate to....vapid, hysterical, social climbing, shallow, etc. Those are the words that come to mind. The character of the lame Aunt Julie was my favorite. She seemed genuine and strong. If you read this book, you'll probably like it but if you don't read it you haven't missed reading a GREAT book.

John Singer Sargent' s most celebrated work is Portrait of Madame X, one of the most famous works of art of the 19th century. However the painting caused a scandal when it was revealed at the 1884 Salon in France. This book is a fictional account of the woman behind the portrait, Virginie Gautreau, an American expatriate.

A well known beauty in French society, Madame Gautreau's reputation (such as it was) was destroyed by the unveiling of this painting, as was Sargents, who chose to leave Paris for good. The author has depicted a very vivid and interesting early life for Virginie, however in the long run the subject comes across as shallow and self-serving. She actually seemed to me a Paris Hilton of her day, renowned for nothing more than attending parties and being what was termed a professional beauty.

The writing captured the essence of the time, and I found parts of the story fascinating, but the main character often seemed so whiny that I really didn't like her much. I did appreciate the author's notes at the end, where she clarifies some of the history of the story, indicating the fictional adaptations she made.

This book has all the romance and drama of fiction, and yet a powerful sense of authenticity. Because it is a novel, I felt I was able to get close to that legendary figure of "Madame X," and to understand her, in a way that would not have been possible in a conventional biography.
I loved her in all her glamor and complexity, and I learned so much about the art world, and about Paris of the 19th. century. The novel gave me everything I would want in a work of fiction, a sense of being inside the characters, and at the same time, I gained an education!
I really couldn't put it down.