Madame Picasso

by Anne Girard

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

The Good:
I'm typically not a romance novel kind of person but I've always enjoyed reading about women behind the (fill in famous man here) perhaps I would have enjoyed People Magazine if it existed in the early 1900s.

The details depicted to Picasso's paintings were miraculous and could vividly picture them. Eva's yellow kimono was brilliant, and the backdrop of Paris was magnificent, drawing its own landscape that could be seen in great detail upon reading. I also liked that Eva and Picasso didn't jump into bed on page two. It was a slow courtship from afar (for the most part) and enjoyed the build up it provided.

The Bad:
At fear of being a prude the sex (no matter how small) bothered me. It wasn't graphic and if Picasso really did paint in the nude, well each to their own. Although I would have preferred more of an "end scene" upon reaching the bed. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I don't see anything wrong with leaving a little to the imagination.

Also, I had a really hard time feeling completely sorry for Eva. Once again, I'm not trying to make excuses for myself as her death was horrible, but come on, if Picasso really loved you as much as he claims he does he wouldn't have run from the relationship. For that reason and the fact that she was not pro-active about the situation I was a little irked.

The Conclusion:
Despite my complaints, Eva was a real person and Anne Gerard brought her to life with vast amounts of detail. Madame Picasso is a great historical novel for anyone who has an interest in art, or just a good historical fiction novel.