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The Flames is the previously untold story of four real women, living in Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century – at that tipping point in time when the greatness and grandeur of the past threatens to collapse – as they enter the dizzying, dangerous orbit of the artist Egon Schiele. This is the story of four muses…Women whose bodies were shown in intimate detail, depicted by the charming yet controversial artist Egon Schiele. But who were they? Egon Schiele’s life is revealed through the eyes of the women around him. His single-minded pursuit of his art and his callous self-indulgence lead one of them to madness, another to self-mutilation and an early demise. Yet all pay tribute to his talent.”— The New York Times Book Review
THE FLAMES: Sophie Haydock breathes electrifying life into THE FLAMES: Sophie Haydock breathes electrifying life into
The Flames reimagines the intertwining lives of these women: four wild, blazing hearts, longing to be known. In an elegant bohemian city like 1900s Vienna, everything seems possible. But just as a flame has the power to mesmerize, it can also destroy everything in its path … Sophie is represented by Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment and is currently working on her second novel. What do you have left, if you only ever loved one man, with everything you possess? And how do you prove that you ever lived at all, if all you can point to, is a painting in a gallery? The Flames paints a history so detailed and vivid that we feel we were there in the flesh. A book to get lost in, a great feat of a debut." author of the Booker Prize–winning novel Ver DBC PierreVienna at the dawn of the 20th century. An opulent, extravagant city teeming with art, music and radical ideas. A place where the social elite attend glamorous balls in the city's palaces whilst young intellectuals decry the empire across the tables of crowded cafes. It is a city where anything seems possible - if you are a man. Vienna at the dawn of the 20th century is an opulent, extravagant city teeming with art, music, and radical ideas. A place where the social elite attend glamorous balls in the city’s palaces while young intellectuals decry the empire across the tables of crowded cafés. It is a city where anything seems possible—if you are a man. The quality of the writing is very good, in places it’s almost sensual as you might expect given the nature of Shiele’s work but the author cleverly changes the tone to suit the four very different women and how they interact with him and impact on his life.
The Flames by Sophie Haydock | Goodreads The Flames by Sophie Haydock | Goodreads
This is a debut novel and I really like the way the author weaves fact with fiction to bring these characters to life. I especially enjoyed the way she explores the potential dynamics between the flames/muses to create a fascinating narrative throughout. The triangle between Egon and the two sisters is especially intriguing but also how Vally fits into the jigsaw. The one that especially fascinates me is the relationship between Egon and Gertrude and here you learn much about the man. The novel is well-researched . . . and the author has an impressive knowledge of Schiele, his works and his milieu, both artistic and historical. It is an engaging read . . . a most impressive work of historical fiction.”Next we meet Egon’s sster Gertie who has a very controversial relationship with her brother. Then there’s Vally who in in a relationship with Egon for years and who is constantly by his side when others leave him. He avoids marrying her though and tends to keep her at arms length. At a time when marriage and women’s prospects were linked with men, this is hard to bear. I think of how the judge ignited Schiele's artwork in that courtroom more than a hundred years ago – burning, but also illuminating – and I hope The Flames shines a new light on the models who made that troubled man one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
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