Customer Reviews

The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque : A Novel

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jeffrey Ford's new novel is The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque, something of a departure from his previous novels, though it does share some of the same obsessions and tropes, and of course it features Ford's easily recognizable prose, lush and at times overheated, but enjoyable and effective for the most part. But his earlier novels were set in exotic fantasy landscapes -- this book is set in turn of the 20th Century New York -- though Ford makes it seem exotic enough!

Mrs. Charbuque is a mysterious woman who engages the services of the novel's narrator, Piero Piambo, a portrait painter who wishes he could be something better. Mrs. Charbuque offers to pay him enough money to allow him to pursue his dream, but on one condition: he must attempt to paint her without ever seeing her. Much of the novel is given to Mrs. Charbuque's stories of her strange life: a father who predicted the future by reading snowflakes, an unfaithful mother, her later life telling fortunes, and her unusual relationship with her husband, who is allowed to see her no more than any other person. Piambo's struggles to paint his mysterious patron are complicated by the growing jealousy of both his lover, and of the apparently estranged Mr. Charbuque. At the same time his old friend Shenz, another portrait painter, offers to track down clues to Mrs. Charbuque's identity. And finally a mysterious plague is infesting New York: women are found bleeding to death through their eyes.

The resolution is striking and oddly pulpish. The novel is great fun, mixing outlandish mysteries with sensitive philosophical speculation, and garish adventure with concerns about the character of the artist. These perhaps disparate elements in the end work together quite well: this is a quite satisfying book.

I bought "The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque" not knowing quite what to expect, but was quickly captivated by both its premise and its style. I'm not frequently a reader of mystery novels, nor do I read historical fiction very often. I've delved into Dan Brown, Caleb Carr, and Mark Frost--and in all cases I've ultimately come away disappointed. When reading these books I'd felt either that the author thought I was stupid or that he thought his characters were stupid.

Here Ford treats both his readers and his creations with respect. His plot does not rely on amazing coincidence or amazing ineptitude to propel it along; nor does he treat his novel as an opportunity to impress the reader with his research on 19th century New York City or the art of portraiture. Instead, both provide a rich, but not overwrought, backdrop for a satisfying nugget of mystery.

If you're looking for the next great American novel, this is not it. However, if you are looking for a little guilt-free escapist fun that is more substantive than most of what populates the best-seller list, then "The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque" is well worth your time.

This is almost an amazing book.

The concept is intriguing, and through most of it just the enigma of Mrs. Charbuque kept me reading. I felt that the "subplot" (the mysterious disease that causes ppl to bleed from the eyes) was too sporadic and hamhandedly dealt with, and i felt the entire ending to be a bit of a tidied-up cop-out. I wish that the author had taken another 50-100 pages to flesh out the mystery-disease subplot and to wind up the story in a way that didn't feel so slam-bang. For something that purported to challenge gender and identity, it felt a bit rote.

A bizarre mystery full of intriguing characters! I was mesmerized by this book and had trouble putting it down, just as Piambo was intrigued by the enigmatic Mrs. Charbuque. Even though the ending was not quite as potent as the rest of the novel, Mr. Ford deserves five stars for a brilliantly conceived fantasy novel.

Rich, complex, and often hilarious, The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque is Ford's finest novel to date.

The story is imbued with a dreamlike logic that remains utterly convincing even as it veers into some very strange territory (including a fortune teller who reads the future in excrement, a thief who picks locks with his fingernails, and a parasite that causes its victims to weep blood). Great characters, a marvelous premise, and Ford's unique imagination make this the best novel I've read so far this year.

In New York of 1893, painter Piambo is suffocating. He's forced to paint society portraits of the nouveaux riches in order to make a living. A mystery comission to paint the portrait of Mrs. Charbuque offers a way out, as she offers a rather mind-boggling amount of money for her portrait. There's a catch, of course: Piambo is not allowed to see Mrs. Charbuque. He can only hear her talk behind a screen.

Piambo accepts the commission. While he struggles with the painting, a wave of mysterious murders hits New York. Soon Piambo finds out he's in a bit too deep for his own good, but getting out is not that easy - and does Piambo really want to get out?

Jeffrey Ford has written a marvellous book. The story was a real page-turner, this is a magical book full of new wonders. Both Piambo and Mrs. Charbuque are interesting characters and the story is riddled with interesting people and events. It's been a while since I've read a book this captivating. Highly recommended for the fans of magical and fantastic.

This novel is for thinking people. It's haunting, poignant and beautifully written. I tried to make it last longer, but I couldn't stop reading it. If you liked John Fowles "The Magus," you will like this book.

This book has a nifty idea, and well imagined setting, excellent characters (I especially liked the hero's girlfriend and his opium addicted painting pal - Ford portrays them as realistic, but sympathetic and intrigueing) and a plot full of menace and mystery. What a great idea - ask a portraitist to paint the face of a woman he can never see. I don't want to give anything away - read this book, and I like the Physnigomy series even better.

This novel sparked my imagination from its first pages. As the painter, Mr Piambo, laboured to capture the likeness of his invisible patron, Mrs Charbuque, I found myself urgently making my own mental portraits of her, as if to beat Piambo to the goal. Ford writes cleverly without being pretentious, and maintains real suspense throughout the book. I couldn't put it down - and will never be able to smell nutmeg without fond memories.

I was up until almost 2 o'clock this morning with this book. Started it last night just before I went to bed, and couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. A completely engrossing read, with fascinating and well developed characters, lots of unexpected twists and turns, and (best of all!) wheels within wheels within wheels. Every time a question is answered another layer of the puzzle is exposed, and you find yourself reading "just one more page"... until you finish the entire book in the wee hours of the morning.

No spoilers from me on this one. I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. If you like Tim Powers, Gene Wolfe, and Paul Witcover, then this is a book you *must* have in your collection.

This one smells like the next World Fantasy Award for Best Novel to me.