Helpful Score: 3
WOW! I really enjoyed this book!
Now, let me begin by relating that it did take me about 39 pages to really get into it. I think many of A. Hoffmans' fans that are not so fond of some of her later works may not be fans of historical period novels. This book, (I have already popped it into the mail so that others on the site can get the pleasure of it) begins in the early to mid 1800s(approx.). It spans the life of Rachael Pomie and her day to day life. Amazing it is that one novel (based on facts) can cover the life of 1 person and the lives of several others (just not as detailed in the case of the others).
I have only a couple of friends of the Jewish faith. So one may say that I know very, very little of Judaism. I felt that I got to learn a bit on this subject and some historical facts as well as details of life in the Saint Thomas area island life.
I really enjoyed reading about Jacobo Camille Pizzaro and of his childhood and how his young artists' mind saw things. I did not know of his great contribution to the Impressionism works.
There was definitely some of Hoffman's' magicalism. This is a historical book, a love story, a book about class marriage, interfaith marriage, a book that delves deeply into the injustices of slavery, a book that touches on how u.s. civil war affected many countries.
Once again, Hoffman never lets me down. Indeed, there were tears.
Now, let me begin by relating that it did take me about 39 pages to really get into it. I think many of A. Hoffmans' fans that are not so fond of some of her later works may not be fans of historical period novels. This book, (I have already popped it into the mail so that others on the site can get the pleasure of it) begins in the early to mid 1800s(approx.). It spans the life of Rachael Pomie and her day to day life. Amazing it is that one novel (based on facts) can cover the life of 1 person and the lives of several others (just not as detailed in the case of the others).
I have only a couple of friends of the Jewish faith. So one may say that I know very, very little of Judaism. I felt that I got to learn a bit on this subject and some historical facts as well as details of life in the Saint Thomas area island life.
I really enjoyed reading about Jacobo Camille Pizzaro and of his childhood and how his young artists' mind saw things. I did not know of his great contribution to the Impressionism works.
There was definitely some of Hoffman's' magicalism. This is a historical book, a love story, a book about class marriage, interfaith marriage, a book that delves deeply into the injustices of slavery, a book that touches on how u.s. civil war affected many countries.
Once again, Hoffman never lets me down. Indeed, there were tears.
The Marriage of Opposites is a masterfully written story that submerges the reader into the beautiful setting, with the heat of the tropical St. Thomas sun, the wonder of the sea, and beauty of the jungle. It also completely engages the reader into the joys and heartaches of not just Rachel Pizzarro but also this entire small community. I am captivated by the writing and left wishing there was still more to read.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/07/the-marriage-of-opposites.html
Reviewed based on a publisher's galley received through NetGalley
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/07/the-marriage-of-opposites.html
Reviewed based on a publisher's galley received through NetGalley
I enjoyed this book. I thought it was a bit scattered at times- huge periods of time passed with no explanation, and I did not think the transitions were always as good as they could be. I really do love Hoffman's writing style and her ability to describe landscapes and people.
This novel was based on the life of the impressionist artist Camille Pissarro's mother, Rachel, and her life on the island of St. Thomas (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) in the West Indies. The island was a refuge for a community of Jews who escaped from the European Inquisition. Rachel yearned to leave the island and travel to France but fate kept her there until late in life. She was married off to a widower with three children when she was quite young to save her father's business. When her husband dies, she falls for a much younger nephew of her husband, Frederic Pizzarro, who comes from France to run the business. But since she is related to the young nephew through marriage, the Jewish community frowns on her union with him and she and her family are ostracized from the Jewish community for many years. She has several children with Frederic including her favorite Jacobo Camille, who becomes the famous artist. Rachel is also best friends with Jestine, of African descent, who is in love with an adopted cousin of Rachel's and whose young daughter is ultimately abducted and taken to France. The novel does also tell the story of Camille and how he struggled to become an artist even though his family wanted him to stay in the family business.
This novel is full of heartbreak within the Pizzarro family and it shows vividly how traditions and rules within a society often translate into cruelty. This is especially true for the relationships between the whites and those of African descent. I have read a couple of other novels by Hoffman and overall would recommend this one and will be reading more of her work.
This novel is full of heartbreak within the Pizzarro family and it shows vividly how traditions and rules within a society often translate into cruelty. This is especially true for the relationships between the whites and those of African descent. I have read a couple of other novels by Hoffman and overall would recommend this one and will be reading more of her work.
Beautifully written, evocative and moving. It illuminates a corner of the Caribbean (St. Thomas) and a culture we don't hear much about (19th century Francophone Jews) along with relating the background of a real-life major painter (Camille Pissaro). Descriptions of the setting on St. Thomas and in Paris were convincing and involving, and the characters all made sense in somewhat unpredictable ways. Highly recommended.
Alice Hoffman's style is dreamy. I don't really like dreamy.
I like Alice Hoffman but I found this book extremely boring. I had to read it for my bookclub so I got the audio version, it was also boring. Maybe it was just me, because my bookclub loved it. I liked the Dovekeepers much better-- this was fictionalized history, if you are going to write fiction than dont write about a real person.
