Book Review/Discussion: The Painted Girls

When I saw this book by Cathy Marie Buchanan at the library it seemed quite natural to pick it up. I love ballet, I love Paris, I love Edgar Degas...and this book had all three! Now, I've already written about my feelings on historical fiction, but I didn't even think about my usual compunction when I picked out this book. I just wanted to read it. I didn't think about historical accuracy. I just got lost in the story. (Now, it helps that I didn't think these characters were actually real...but at the end an author's note informed me that they were, though the author says they are mostly fictionalized, which is fine with me). 

For those who have not yet read The Painted Girls 

This is the story of Marie and Antoinette Van Goethem, two teenage girls living a life of destitution in the slums of Paris. They live with their mother, a drunk widow, and their little sister, Charlotte, and everyone must pull their weight. After getting kicked out of her spot with the first quadrille at the Paris Opera, Antoinette helps Charlotte and Marie secure spots at "petite rats" (young dance students) at the Paris Opera's ballet school. While training, Marie catches the eye of famed painter Edgar Degas, and becomes a model for him. Antoinette, meanwhile, falls in love...and risks also falling from grace. 

Let it be said that this story is beautiful. It's compelling. You will fall in love with Marie and Antoinette, and genuinely care what happens for them. Buchanan is both a talented storyteller and a masterful crafter of words, and her talents shine through her depictions of Marie, Antoinette, and life in 19th century Paris. 

One thing I loved about this book was the emphasis on destiny...or rather, our fear of it. Do we have free will, or not? This is something I'm not going to discuss here beyond its implications in the books. Poor Marie, who was well-educated before her father died and an avid newspaper reader, comes across the theory that cranial features are indicators of a predilection for depravity, crime, and poor moral character. Unfortunately, Marie exhibits these facial features. She lives in fear that she will live up the expectations her face has written. She also attends a play that Antoinette is in as a walk-on, and is horrified to discover that the antagonist of the play, a poor washwoman who is working hard to pull herself out of poverty, is unable to do so. Marie lives in constant fear of dying in the gutter, the way she was born. It is heart-wrenching. 

There is a scene where Marie gets to see the public part of the Paris Opera house when her ballet madam takes her class to a dress rehearsal. I have been to the Paris Opera house and it is indeed one of the most grand, beautiful buildings I have ever seen. Imagine the awe Marie must have had. That is the awe I feel as I read this book. 

Recommended? 

Absolutely yes. 4.5/5 stars. 

Tips

If you are not familiar with the Paris Opera or the work of Edgar Degas, I would go ahead and familiarize yourself. It will make the reading more visceral and enjoyable. Here's a primer real quick to save you some time if you don't want to go look it up on your own :-) 

Edgar Degas: 

Paris Opera: 

For those of you who have read The Painted Girls 

SPOILER ALERTS!!!

SCROLL DOWN FOR SPOILERS!

Oh. My. Goodness. 

What a beautiful book! I so enjoyed it, and felt that I got a lot out of it. It kind of reminded me of The Girl with a Pearl Earring or I am Madam X, both of which explore the woman behind the art. I've read both of those, and thoroughly enjoyed them, but I like The Painted Girls the best. 

I really liked the flip of perspective between Antoinette and Marie. It really showed the wedges they were indadvertedly driving between each other, but also the utter love they had for each other. I was so glad the story had a happy ending. 

What about modeling for the artist? Could you imagine that happening now? A 13/14 year old girl going alone to a grown man's house and modeling in the nude for him? Edgar Degas would have been a registered sex offender instead of an acclaimed painter. Isn't it interesting how social norms change with the time? 

One thing I also loved about this book was the setting. I truly felt that I was there, in Paris, in that time. I felt that I was backstage at the Opera, at the barre next to Marie, sweating in the washhouse next to Antoinette. It's the closest thing to time-travelling we can get. I am eager to see if I can track down a copy of Buchanan's other book, The Day the Falls Stood Still. This is one writer I want to see more of. 

So now...questions!

-Did you prefer the Marie or Antoinette chapters? Why? 

-What is your opinion on Emile Abadie? 

-How do you feel about the "woman behind the painting" genre? 

-What theme struck you the most when reading? 

-Has anyone read The Day the Falls Stood Still? Thoughts? Recommendations? 

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!