I am Madame X - Gioia Diliberto
by Zia ~ July 20th, 2005. Filed under: Books.
I love John Singer Sargent. I love his portrait of Madame X and the story of how it caused a furor when it was first shown. And I love novels about art.
So it’s surprising that I hated this book. Okay, okay, I confess. I haven’t gotten past page 22. The writing isn’t that great. The voice of Virginie Gatreau is incredibly contrived. Perhaps I should give this more of a chance. But I don’t think I will.
It seems to me that some writers feel the need to attempt a work doomed for failure. One example is Pia Pera’s Lo’s Diary, which retells Lolita from her perspective. (I think the only reason it got so much press was because Nabakov’s estate sued. How can you possibly surpass the original?) To me–and granted, I haven’t given it much of a chance–I am Madame X falls into the same category. First of all, it cheapens the portrait with its amateurish efforts. Second, one of the painting’s appeals is its very mystery. Should one even attempt to demystify or is it better left alone? Well, I leave that to you.