To Jeanne he represents freedom, creativity, boldness, and the potential richness of life. She is mesmerised by the story of his ear, and the rumour that he once wandered into Place du Forum in Arles completely naked, in the rain, at night. She is captivated by his creativity and what she sees as his freedom from the constraints of an ordered life. To Jeanne Trabuc, the wife of his doctor, van Gogh is doubly mysterious as both a patient at the hospital and as an artist. He is troubled and vulnerable when we meet him, having recently committed that famous act of self-harm, severing the lower part of one of his ears, and now residing in a psychiatric hospital. Van Gogh himself is very ‘in touch’ with nature in this novel, and seems happier to be out in it than in amongst buildings and people. Fletcher obviously has a passion for the area she describes – a place filled with history and nature, and the lives of those who live there. The descriptions of Provence are vivid and colourful, and took me right back to our holiday there last year. The Little Brown website describes it as ‘tender and savage’ and this is certainly true – the pains and passions of life are explored and considered in all their beauty and horror. I was very glad to be offered a review copy of this book. This post is part of the blog tour for Let Me Tell You About A Man I Knew – be sure to check out the other posts!
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