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Vivienne
Did Vivienne Volker kill Wilma Lang? This question has dogged Vivienne ever since Wilma jumped from a window to her death shortly after Volker stole her lover, the visionary artist Hans Bellmer, in the 1970s. Once a famous artist and fashion icon, Volker is now in her eighties and spends her days in religious contemplation in rural Pennsylvania alongside her daughter Velour Bellmer, her granddaughter Vesta Furio, her much younger boyfriend—a garbageman named Lou—and Franz, the family dog. Their quiet lives are disrupted when Vivienne’s work is selected for inclusion in a high-profile retrospective called "Forgotten Women Surrealists" at the prestigious NAT Museum. However, when rumors of her past misdeeds begin to circulate and she is dropped from the show, a gallery curator enters the picture hoping to capitalize on the buzz generated by the controversy, sending the family's tensions, hopes, and dreams to a dizzying peak. Set over the course of a fateful week, Vivienne deftly weaves surreal prose with a Greek chorus of internet comments and text messages, to ask the what is the cost of vision, what is the price of art?
264 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 11, 2024
An astonishing debut novel. Russo's prose is poetic, moving even. I love it. Such a clever plot that centers around an artist who has been sequestered away in rural PA, living with their daughter and granddaughter, until an art exhibit brings her back into the spotlight. The narrative deals with cancellation and the cost of being an artist, what you lose and what you gain.
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October 6, 2024????????
November 1, 2024
4.5
Three generations of artistic and odd women.
The grandmother, Vivienne, a renowned artist, is facing cancellation for unsubstantiated events that occurred in her past.
Cancel culture, creation and the art world are featured heavily and entertainingly through the clever use of mixed media such as online comments, texts, letters & posts.
The book has a surreal and absurdist feel to it - the ending and relationships in particular are ludicrous and scandalous. There are some fever-dream-esque moments scattered throughout as well as some slight horror elements.
I was along for the crazy ride.
Love the cover.
Three generations of artistic and odd women.
The grandmother, Vivienne, a renowned artist, is facing cancellation for unsubstantiated events that occurred in her past.
Cancel culture, creation and the art world are featured heavily and entertainingly through the clever use of mixed media such as online comments, texts, letters & posts.
The book has a surreal and absurdist feel to it - the ending and relationships in particular are ludicrous and scandalous. There are some fever-dream-esque moments scattered throughout as well as some slight horror elements.
I was along for the crazy ride.
Love the cover.
October 19, 2024
Among the contrarian achievements here: stylistic gymnastics propel (not impede) narrative oomph. The verbal feats include revolving POVs and entire chapters rendered in YouTube comments. Plot wows offer daunting double-axel twists! Fave themes include Shady shenanigans of the art-world “industry”; the stoopid hypocrisies of cancel culture (the author was a prey of same); and cross-generational sex/romance offered nonchalant. Brava for that and more!
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November 12, 2024Truly lost for words here 🧍♀️
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November 14, 2024I kindly received „Vivienne“ to review.
I want to start with that this book is either your cup of tea or you are a coffee drinker.
It is curious to start. Three generations of women and Ll of them somewhat eccentric to the point you don’t know if they are just strange or a tad bit rude.
The story deals with a lot of things. For such a short book maybe a bit too much? It starts with the topic of cancel culture when Vivienne‘s (a former surrealist artist - retired if you will) art is excluded from an exhibition because a rumore surfaces of Vivienne being involved with a suicide.
The book is very fragmented so to say it follows her life in the countryside as a old woman is a far reach. If I had to describe it I would say it is about ideologies of art, religion and life itself. Long story short: it is about what it means to be an artist with all its pros and cons. But then again it was so strange at times that it seemed very cryptic that I am not very sure.
The characters are neither likeable nor unlikable. We read about Vivienne but we don’t know more than the people that just heard of her.
I want to start with that this book is either your cup of tea or you are a coffee drinker.
It is curious to start. Three generations of women and Ll of them somewhat eccentric to the point you don’t know if they are just strange or a tad bit rude.
The story deals with a lot of things. For such a short book maybe a bit too much? It starts with the topic of cancel culture when Vivienne‘s (a former surrealist artist - retired if you will) art is excluded from an exhibition because a rumore surfaces of Vivienne being involved with a suicide.
The book is very fragmented so to say it follows her life in the countryside as a old woman is a far reach. If I had to describe it I would say it is about ideologies of art, religion and life itself. Long story short: it is about what it means to be an artist with all its pros and cons. But then again it was so strange at times that it seemed very cryptic that I am not very sure.
The characters are neither likeable nor unlikable. We read about Vivienne but we don’t know more than the people that just heard of her.
August 1, 2024
What a strange, transcendent book! Vivienne – a novel ostensibly about an artist from another era who faces cancelation – is one of those novels that is so confidently itself that you won’t soon forget it. All its elements – style, plot, pacing – feel synergistic and deliberate.
It’s also a challenging read. Frankly, it was hard to find my footing. But once I did (about ⅔ of the way in), I couldn’t put it down.
Themes include family, relationships, mothers and daughters, feminism, internet culture, legacy, and art (of course). Recommended for fans of literary fiction. Rich fodder for discussion.
Check out my blog for a full recommendation coming soon: https://emilypgerickson.com/blog/
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing for the advance review copy.
It’s also a challenging read. Frankly, it was hard to find my footing. But once I did (about ⅔ of the way in), I couldn’t put it down.
Themes include family, relationships, mothers and daughters, feminism, internet culture, legacy, and art (of course). Recommended for fans of literary fiction. Rich fodder for discussion.
Check out my blog for a full recommendation coming soon: https://emilypgerickson.com/blog/
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing for the advance review copy.
October 23, 2024
Yeah this was fantastic. I’ll admit, I’m still unpacking a lot of the themes this dealt with- it’s a small scale story that packs a TON into its shorter length- but I’m kind of okay coming out of this not totally understanding everything. It invites multiple readings, and it’s such a weird, twisted, unique world, you can’t help but want to dive back in once it’s all over. I’ve never read something written in this particular style/format before, and I thought it was super cool. The Twitter threads acting as a veritable Greek chorus in between the episodes with the various members of the Volker/Furio family succeeded in feeling authentic to 2023 without feeling overly dated. Definitely recommend- it’s a unique one for sure, but absolutely worth it.
October 17, 2024
VIVIENNE — Emmalea Russo
There’s an almost Mona Awad-like feel to this book, with hints of magical realism absorbing you into the artistic minds of the characters. The book follows three generations of women: the artist, VIVIENNE, and her daughter and granddaughter, as VIVIENNE and her work are cancelled and, subsequently, attempted to be un-cancelled and brought back into the spotlight.
The different styles of writing make the flow of the book very enjoyable and easy to turn the pages, from text messages to social media comments to narrative prose. The imagery, metaphors, and poetic style of Russo’s writing also lend to a captivating world being drawn up in your mind. The characters are real and as are their lives.
There’s an almost Mona Awad-like feel to this book, with hints of magical realism absorbing you into the artistic minds of the characters. The book follows three generations of women: the artist, VIVIENNE, and her daughter and granddaughter, as VIVIENNE and her work are cancelled and, subsequently, attempted to be un-cancelled and brought back into the spotlight.
The different styles of writing make the flow of the book very enjoyable and easy to turn the pages, from text messages to social media comments to narrative prose. The imagery, metaphors, and poetic style of Russo’s writing also lend to a captivating world being drawn up in your mind. The characters are real and as are their lives.
November 16, 2024
“What is the difference between an artist and a killer?…Must be something about the soul?Fabric and plastic, flesh and bone.”
3.5 off kilter stars
What a kooky little book. I loved Vesta and Franz - always a sucker for a solid dog character. The questions of art and artist and separating art from artist tickle your brain at the backdrop of this story as Vivienne and her story unfold. For those who enjoy Paradise Rot or Melissa Broder’s writing, this one is for you.
3.5 off kilter stars
What a kooky little book. I loved Vesta and Franz - always a sucker for a solid dog character. The questions of art and artist and separating art from artist tickle your brain at the backdrop of this story as Vivienne and her story unfold. For those who enjoy Paradise Rot or Melissa Broder’s writing, this one is for you.
October 20, 2024
This is my favorite book of 2024. I laugh so much while reading. The characters are strange and memorable. The language is gorgeous and captivating. The world of Vivienne is dreamlike and beautiful. I think it is actually one of the most vibrant and interesting works of American fiction that has been written in the last 10 years.
November 10, 2024
Not sublime, but interesting! I found some of the chorus to be lovely and poetic and some to be cumbersome and tedious. It was not a book that particularly moved me but it is one that after finishing I kept returning to different images, and characters. A nice book with some great moments. An interesting concept! A pleasant (although dark and strange enough it’s hardly pleasant) read!
October 1, 2024
3.5 rounded up
A strange little book that I’m not surprised to see doesn’t have a lot of comprehensive reviews. Seems like something sort of hard to categorize… but I enjoyed it and it was quick-paced. No clue about the ending really.
A strange little book that I’m not surprised to see doesn’t have a lot of comprehensive reviews. Seems like something sort of hard to categorize… but I enjoyed it and it was quick-paced. No clue about the ending really.
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October 14, 2024lmao what was that ending
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews