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The Sunday Salon - Lazy Day

The Sunday Salon.comI have had a very lazy day today. I slept until almost noon, mostly just because I felt like it. Do you ever do that? After I finally decided to get up I read in bed for a little while. I was reading The Lady and the Unicorn. I am reading it to participate in the Dark and Stormy Book Club. In this novel Tracy Chevalier weaves together fact and fiction to tell the fictional story behind some very real tapestries. The club will be "meeting" in just an hours time, so hopefully I can get this post done in time!

Little is known about the origins of the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. They have become iconic in the world of tapestries but it is known that they were made for the Le Viste family which is evident by the coat of arms represented in the tapestry itself. Chevalier did a lot of research in order to weave together the possibilities of fact and fiction.

In the Acknowledgments and Notes of the book Chevalier shares some of her process in the creation of the novel. She outlines the background information more extensively on her site.

In the story she explains how each of the tapestries is connected with one of the five senses. The final one is called "My Heart's Desire."


Touch


Sound


Smell


Sight


Taste


A Mon Seul Desir

I love it when fiction is set to a historical context. I love reading possible stories behind the creation of artistic pieces. I think they promote interest in new areas and personal research. I love seeing exactly where fact ends and fiction begins. Do you like stories like this?

Comments

  1. AndiSeptember 14, 2008 at 5:46 PM

    I haven't read any of Chevalier's stuff in a really long time. I might have to give this one a try!

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2008 at 6:54 PM

    I read and enjoyed this a couple of years back, but I didn't feel it was quite good enough to keep around. Still, I liked the way Chevalier dealt with the subject matter. Her GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING was also very good.

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 14, 2008 at 7:53 PM

    I haven't read that one, but I loved Chevalier's Burning Bright, about the poet and artist William Blake.

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  4. Sarah at SmallWorldSeptember 14, 2008 at 8:05 PM

    While I did like girl with the Pearl Earring better, I enjoyed this one, too. Here's my review: http://smallworldreads.blogspot.com/2007/12/book-review-lady-and-unicorn.html

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  5. CrissySeptember 14, 2008 at 8:09 PM

    Sounds fabulous. I read Girl with a Pearl Earring and really enjoyed every moment of it.

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  6. TCSeptember 15, 2008 at 7:30 AM

    I read mostly non-fiction, but recently finished Tony Morrison's "Beloved," a book I found difficult to follow at times, but riveting nonetheless.

    About a month ago I was introduced to a genre I was not familiar with by one of its authors: Literary Romance (http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com).

    Rehearsal: The Highest Aim by LK Hunsaker has just been published and I'm thinking I should give it a read. The thing is I've never really developed a like for fiction in general, no matter what genre. Perhaps I should allow myself more freedom.

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  7. saintseesterSeptember 15, 2008 at 8:31 AM

    I normally like these sorts of novels, but I wanted some more historical aspects, I think. She writes well, though.

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