Review: Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

Narrator: Kimberly Farr 
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Series: No 
Copyright: 2011 
Publisher: Random House Audio 
Buy: Amazon Audio or Amazon Book

Summary: from Good Reads
Against the unforgettable backdrop of New York near the turn of the twentieth century, from the Gilded Age world of formal balls and opera to the immigrant poverty of the Lower East Side, bestselling author Susan Vreeland again breathes life into a work of art in this extraordinary novel, which brings a woman once lost in the shadows into vivid color.

It’s 1893, and at the Chicago World’s Fair, Louis Comfort Tiffany makes his debut with a luminous exhibition of innovative stained-glass windows, which he hopes will honor his family business and earn him a place on the international artistic stage. But behind the scenes in his New York studio is the freethinking Clara Driscoll, head of his women’s division. Publicly unrecognized by Tiffany, Clara conceives of and designs nearly all of the iconic leaded-glass lamps for which he is long remembered.

Clara struggles with her desire for artistic recognition and the seemingly insurmountable challenges that she faces as a professional woman, which ultimately force her to protest against the company she has worked so hard to cultivate. She also yearns for love and companionship, and is devoted in different ways to five men, including Tiffany, who enforces to a strict policy: he does not hire married women, and any who do marry while under his employ must resign immediately. Eventually, like many women, Clara must decide what makes her happiest—the professional world of her hands or the personal world of her heart.

Feelings: 
I listened to the audiobook of Clara and Mr. Tiffany. I really enjoyed the audio version of the story. It was at times a little slow, and I would have liked to see a little more action. However, being based on actual people and events there was less room for invention. I enjoy historical fiction and this was interesting because of the history of leaded glass windows, and how women were involved in the process at Tiffany Studio.

The history included in this novel held my interest because the art history of Tiffany Studio was something I wasn't familiar with even though I was familiar with the art work. 

The end of the novel looked a little more at the history that went into creating the novel and that was really interesting to me.

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

Title: Titus Groan 
Author: Mervyn Peake 
Type: Novel 
Genre: Fantasy of Manners 
Series: Yes. Volume 1 of "The Gormenghast Trilogy" 
Pages: 543 
Copyright: 1967 
Publisher: Ballantine Books, Inc. 
Rating: 3 out of 5


Summary: From GoodReads.
Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative Titus Groan, a darkly humorous, stunningly complex tale of the first two years in the life of the heir to an ancient, rambling castle. The Gormenghast royal family, the castle's decidedly eccentric staff, and the peasant artisans living around the dreary, crumbling structure make up the cast of characters in this engrossing story. Peake's command of language and unique style set the tone and shape of an intricate, slow-moving world of ritual and stasis.

Feelings:
If there was ever an author worthy of being jealous of their vocabulary Mervyn Peake would be that author. There really isn't that much that happens during this novel but the writing style is such that pages may be dedicated to a drop of water. One of the characters is described as garrulous and it fits the book as well.

The writing takes some getting used to. Having a dictionary handy doesn't hurt. Peake does at times create words but those are ones that are easy to define thankfully.

The entire book takes place over the first 18 months of Titus' life. The plot of the book is almost flat at times but it does move forward over the course of the novel. The characters are quirky, spiteful, devious, and gullible. Rather than plot moving the story forward I would say it is the characters thoughts and lack of action that give the story some forward motion.

It was not often that Flay approved of happiness in others. He saw in happiness the seeds of independence, and in independence the seeds of revolt. But on an occasion such as this it was different, for the spirit of convention was being rigorously adhered to, and in between his ribs Mr. Flay experienced twinges of pleasure. (p. 17)

Convention and following it creates character interaction and brings together characters that otherwise would not meet. It is something that is begrudgingly followed by some and joyously by others. 

This is a book that I am not sure I would recommend to just anyone. It is odd and verbose, both qualities that make it hard to say who will like it and who will not. I would recommend it to those that really like language and words, not because of the story but because of the use of words. I would recommend it to those who search out the odd books and enjoy them. This is not to say that either group will really enjoy this novel. I am still largely undecided as to whether I will read the next in the trilogy or not. I did enjoy the novel but it wasn't exactly an exciting read.