e-Book Murielle download

Tears came to my eyes as, page by dreadful page, I watched the appealing premise of this novel quickly dissolve in a morass of tedium, uninspired development and vexacious dialogue. In spite of this, I braved through to the denouement, wherein the potential for a poignant and erotic "loss of innocence" became, instead, the opportunity to suffer an incredibly dull and juvenile discourse on the natural, biologic components of human passion and physiologic response. Personally, by this point, I really wanted to be rewarded for my charitable effort in sticking with this appalling text, however, as the character of Waterhouse might say in his impeccable British phrasing, using period British terminologies, "Wow, no such luck here, for sure"!
The only positive thing I can say about this book is that the cover is very nice. The plot and characters are bereft not only of charm and subtlty, but also of sense, so that all becomes farcical. There is no room for the reader to create in his or her mind that critical mental world that accompanies the reading of a novel. The beauty of human nuance is treated clumsily (when it is treated at all), scribed in crayon and handed over on a melamine tray, when it could have been penned with quill and presented deliciously, provocatively and with elegant understatement on a silver platter.
It isn't often I read a book and suffer excruciating embarrassment on behalf of the author.

The newer 2,012 Edition of "Murielle" is substantially improved upon over the earlier 2000 and 2004 Editions from twelve and eight years ago respectively when there were some critical reviews of the book. One improvement is the rewriting of some parts as well as the inclusion of additional illustrations of four of the artist's better known paintings and a little known picture of the artist on a revision of the title page. The four illustrations are the 1885 "St. Eulalia," 1893 "A Naiad," 1896 "Hylas and the Nymphs" and the 1901 "A Mermaid." Also added on the back cover of the softback books is the artist's 1893 study for the "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" painting on the front.
As for the story, one art historian believed that "in no other painting of her is the artist's desire for his model so strongly suggested as in 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' and the knight in the picture is symbolic of the artist himself captivated by his model and obsessed by her as to his own vision of womanhood." In brief, the story of "Murielle" centers upon the first months of the artist's painting of "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" and his choosing of the model said by a biographer to "have made a powerful impact upon Waterhouse as both an artist and man." What was her relationship if any with the artist when it is well known that the Victorian era of England was "littered with liaisons between artists and models."
And who was she? After a long assumption in art history that the model's identity would never be known, it is logically revealed in the book with supporting evidence. In true life she was indeed a beautiful young girl with long red hair and a lovely profile and who, too, is believed to have modeled for other of the artist's paintings such as the nymph in "Hylas and the Nymphs" holding to the arm of Hylas also believed to be symbolic of the artist.
Furthermore, the book not only reveals much about the artist and his model but much about England during the 1890's time span of the story when the seeds of feminism were sprouting into new attitudes, life styles, and behavior of young women much different from their mothers and adult expectations, often unacceptable. "Murielle" is a story true of the times of a young girl's conflicts between her youthful naivety, strict moral upbringing, and the requirements of sitting as a figure model in an era of Victorian morality.

I read the book and loved it. It is an interesting and well written fictional story of a young girl, Murielle, who wants to be a model and follows her dream despite family objections. It is in reality an adventure story, but anyone interested in the art of John William Waterhouse will find the book educational as well, not only about the artist but his long-time and until recently unknown and mysterious model pictured on the cover. The settings in the story are seemingly well-researched and described, and there are numerous and interesting details on the natural history of England which go along with the story. I will now think differently about water lilies, and about weeping willow trees whenever I see one draped to the ground. I highly recommend the book as fun reading.