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The Sitter
The Sitter | Angela O'Keeffe
5 posts | 2 read | 14 to read
Paris, 2020. A writer is confined to her hotel room during the early days of the pandemic, struggling to finish a novel about Hortense Cezanne, wife and sometime muse of the famous painter. Dead for more than a century, Hortense has been reawakened by this creative endeavour, and now shadows the writer through the locked-down city. But Hortense, always subject to the gaze of others, is increasingly intrigued by the woman before her. Who is she and what event hides in her past? Heartbreaking and perfectly formed, The Sitter explores the tension between artist and subject, and between the stories told about us and the stories we choose to tell.
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TheKidUpstairs
The Sitter | Angela O'Keeffe
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Pickpick

A thoughtful, beautifully crafted novella that carries a lot in its few pages.

Part One sees a writer working on a book about Hortense Cezanne (wife of the artist), traveling from Australia to Aix-en-Provence to Paris, accompanied by the ghost of Hortense herself. It plays with classical ideas of the muse, as Hortense watches and occasionally contributes to the writer's efforts to unearth the story of the woman behind the famed artist.

Cont'd

TheKidUpstairs Part Two takes on a darker tone as Covid lockdown, a horrible accident witnessed, and illness strike to drive the writer into her own memories. As she pivots to writing a version of her own life, she, Hortense, and is as readers are forced to reckon with her past, with what control over your own life and choices can mean, and how is lack can haunt. Emotional and thoughtful, this is one that will stay with me for a time. Cont'd 12h
TheKidUpstairs O'Keefe brings to mind Claire Keegan with her ability to do a lot within the confines of a shorter narrative, and to craft a story that will linger long after it's complete. 12h
BarbaraBB Sounds very good. Stacked. 3h
41 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
The Sitter | Angela O'Keeffe
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"It was then that I became aware of the sea. Though not visible through the window, I could smell its seaweed smell, I could hear its roar of outrage - for the sea is a constant agitator for change, for resetting, for rewriting old rules."

CarolynM Enjoying it? 5d
TheKidUpstairs @CarolynM very much so! Her writing is beautiful. I love how she plays with the classical idea of the muse, and takes a concept that could be quite hokey but instead gives something quite lovely and thoughtful. 5d
TheKidUpstairs @CarolynM I've had this one on my shelf for a couple months, but your review inspired me to move it up the TBR, so thank you for the nudge! 5d
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CarolynM 😊😘 4d
sarahbarnes I added this to my TBR following @CarolynM ‘s review as well. Glad to hear you‘re also enjoying it! 19h
TheKidUpstairs @sarahbarnes I finished it a few days ago, it is definitely well worth the read! 12h
48 likes6 comments
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CarolynM
The Sitter | Angela O'Keeffe
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#BookReport for May. The Wardrobe Department and The Sitter were my two favourites for the month.

review
CarolynM
The Sitter | Angela O'Keeffe
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Pickpick

The spirit of Cezanne‘s wife & frequent subject, Hortence, tells her story while watching over a writer who is trying to write Hortense‘s biography but winds up writing a heartbreaking part of her own autobiography. That may sound like an unnecessary bit of literary pretentiousness, but it is beautifully & sensitively done. I‘m not surprised it was on all those prize lists last year. #ozfiction
Second book for #14books14weeks

squirrelbrain Sounds lovely! 3w
Cathythoughts It does sound lovely ❤️ stacking. 3w
LeahBergen This does sound good! 3w
See All 7 Comments
andrew61 Sounds really good. 3w
Centique This sounds amazing. I can see I am amongst good company in thinking that too! 3w
Rissreadswithcats 9 stacks! Wow! 3w
sarahbarnes This sounds really good - stacking! 3w
52 likes11 stack adds7 comments
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LapReader
The Sitter | Angela O'Keeffe
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Saturday after ballet it was op shopping time!